Two Alone Too Alone
by Icebutterfly116
Summary: Maple is a hybrid with a troublesome past. When her crimes of spilled blood and thievery are brought into the light, she flees her desert home to take refugee and stay hidden in the numerous regions of Pyrrhia. (Full summary inside. Cover image by Morrowlace on DeviantArt as a gift to me. All art credit goes to her.)
1. Prologue

_"Everything you do comes back to you."_

 _Maple is a hybrid with a troublesome past._

 _When her crimes of spilt blood and thievery are brought into the light, she flees her desert home to take refugee and stay hidden in the numerous regions of Pyrrhia._

 _But it's not enough, and with numerous dark forces hiding in plain sight, including the royal family themselves, she reluctantly enlists the help and company of a peculiarly peppy hybrid with problems of her own._

 _With her new partner in crime by her side, how long can she elude them before she finally gets caught?_

* * *

Burro was restless.

Arylide, the guard assigned to watch over the treasury with her for the night, was gone longer than he had insisted he would be.

"It'll be a short hunt," he had said. "I'll be back soon," he had said. "I'll be back before the torches in the east wing go out. I promise," he had said.

The SandWing scoffed impatiently at the unpleasant memory as she wrung her claws, her unease clear. How dare she so easily allow him to leave? They were on duty for Mighty Gazelle's sake! The queen would have their _heads_ if she found out her fellow comrade had abandoned his post for a stupid mouse or two.

The last time a guard skipped out on duty, Queen Andhi made a nice show of her punishment by summoning all the palace staff to the courtyard. Unwillingly, they watched as she chained the poor soldier down and attacked her mercilessly, inflicting such horrible wounds that by the end of it, she was on the brink of death.

Burro shuddered just thinking about it. She could remember clearly how she couldn't bear to watch the brutal beating; the guard's blood staining the sands and their ear piercing screams echoing across the kingdom. Like a coward, Burro had hid behind the wings of her friend, Kultarr, for the remainder of it.

It had been her first day as an official guard and the first time she'd seen such a vicious side of Queen Andhi. She was truly terrifying when she wanted to be. During her few days at the stronghold, Burro hadn't gotten into any unnecessary trouble and she preferred that it remained that way till the end of her days.

Silently promising herself that Arylide would receive a vicious tongue lashing when he came back, Burro twisted around to breathe a small red flame on the slowly shrinking torch that hung beside her. Almost immediately, the fire strengthened, and once again its light shone brightly across the stronghold's white marble tiles and pale silver walls engraved with beautiful sun markings. Her scales basked in the wondrous heat.

 _Perhaps the horrible prick has forgotten we are watching over the most important room in the whole palace,_ she thought bitterly. _He's probably off flirting with the new female guard near the princess's quarters. What an idiot._

Her eyes shot up abruptly from her claws. Approaching her position was the soft shuffle of talons and the faint slither of a tail. Could it finally be him?

"Arylide!" she called out, allowing her anger at him to slip into her voice. "What took you so long, you feather-brained fool? I thought you were just going hunting! Do you know what Queen Andhi will do to the both of us if she finds out I allowed you to-"

But it wasn't him. As the dragon came into the light, familiar grayish-blue eyes locked with her pitch black ones, shock within their depths. They belonged to a young SandWing-MudWing dragoness, most likely a dragonet given her size. Her dark brown claws were riddled with a crimson red substance, along with the blade of the knife she was tightly clenching.

Burro immediately recognized the red stains from the rich, coppery stench that drifted her way.

 _Blood._

She curled her lips back in pure disgust and took notice of the newcomer's injuries next. Dried blood coated the areas where long angry red gashes marked her scales. Obviously she'd gotten into multiple fights before arriving here.

At the sight of her, the dragonet recoiled for a moment, a conflicted look quickly flashing in her cautious gaze, before slowly, she crept forward.

"M-Maple!" Burro finally managed to sputter after recovering from her initial shock. "What are you doing here?"

 _Whatever the reason, it can not be good. How many guards has she killed or injured to get in here?_

Both she and Maple had attended the same school, Silverbirch Academy. Burro could recall briefly seeing her wander alone in the halls and separate herself from everyone else during their lunch periods. They hadn't been in the same class- Burro was a few years older than her, hence why she was working as a palace staff now- but she still opted to spend time with her when the opportunity arose, despite the hybrid being somewhat aggressive in her presence.

Maple's eyes narrowed dangerously when she spoke, which wasn't anything new, but sent shivers down Burro's spine anyway. "Burro. I must say I never expected to see you again."

"Neither did I," Burro replied curtly. "But you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here? How did you manage to get past the other guards without alerting anyone?"

"Guarding the treasury of all places, how inconvenient for the both of us," she snarled. _Ignoring the question as always_ , Burro noted. _Still the same, typical Maple._ "Maybe if you don't make things _too_ difficult, I'll be able to do this quickly and nobody has to die- or be severely injured. Although, I always love a challenge."

"What-" She didn't get a chance to finish her response as Maple lunged for her, bowling her over and hooking her claws into her shoulders. Burro hissed as they sunk in deep and blood sprouted from the wound, making the hybrid's talons darker than they already were.

Howling with pain, Burro threw the smaller being off, sending her flying across the hall. Before she could retaliate, she shot a blast of fire in the hybrid's direction, successfully managing to singe the tip of one of her wings as she scrambled to get out of the way. Maple made another lunge for her, but having expecting it this time, Burro lifted into the air.

"Why are you doing this, Maple?" she growled, facing across from her once again as her talons touched the marble flooring. _You are- were my friend! How could you aim to kill me when all I've shown to you is kindness during the short moments we spent together?_

"I need to get into the treasury," she sneered back. "And I highly doubt you'll just let me in like the obedient little duckling you were back in school."

Burro tried not to wince at her offensive slander."For what reason?"

"What do you think, you dense cactus? What would I, an intruder, want from the treasury? Oh, I know! Maybe all the hoards of treasure locked away in there! Your precious queen is selfishly keeping it for herself. I think she should share, with me mostly."

"Since when did you need to resort to becoming a thief?"

Maple smirked at her. "Times are tough, my delirious 'friend'. Not all of us can live perfect, wonderful lives in the lovely stronghold. Now back off so I don't have to kill you!"

With a vicious snarl, she threw the knife at her.

Burro dodged out of the way, the knife stabbing itself into the wall behind her, but stumbled as she felt pain pinch her neck. She was relieved to find only a shallow cut had been made after surveying the damage, but the relief quickly faded when she felt jaws wrap around her tail.

The SandWing yelped as Maple bit into that particularly sensitive area, desperately trying to tug it out of her grasp. Once given up, she proceeded to slash her claws across her snout, forcing her to release her tail.

As Maple staggered back, she took the opportunity to swoop up and pin the hybrid to the ground, struggling to keep her wriggling figure trapped beneath her claws. She held down her snout when she attempted to snap at her neck once again, eyes burning with anger and brimming with tears.

 _Come on, kill her!_

Burro cried out as a sharp pain shot throughout her entire being, inches away from her rapidly beating heart. Horrified, she glanced down, wide-eyed, to see Maple's knife firmly implanted into her chest and her talons clutching its red handle.

She had managed to wrench her arm free from her hold and snatch her knife back without Burro even noticing.

The hybrid yanked it out in one swift motion, a mix of triumph, and disgust sweeping over her expression seemingly at once.

 _No no no no no._

Burro thrashed, her claws curling in dangerously and digging into her palms. Her beady black eyes squeezed shut and her jaw tightened, ending the ear-splitting scream that had threatened to slip between her teeth moments before.

 _ **It felt awful.**_

The wound that had pierced her chest continued to bleed and sting all throughout her writhing. She knew that her flailing movements did little to end her pain, but her judgement was too clouded by the sinister claws of agony digging into the depths of her mind to think clearly. She wanted to escape her own scales; free herself from the painful prison that continued to engulf her.

Finally, she stopped. No longer did she have the strength to move. She glared wrathfully at the other being above, who stared down upon the dying dragon with contempt, disdain, and pity.

Perhaps even a tiny bit of regret.

The dying dragon attempted a weak laugh. Oh how it was far too late to take it all back.

"I trusted you," Burro spat, her tone was toxic. Her breathing came out in short, pained gasp. It was a great effort to speak, and every word made her cough up more blood than the last. We were friends.

"Well then, you can't really blame me, can you?" Maple's tone was lifeless and dull, lacking the mockery Burro had expected. "It was your mistake."


	2. Chapter 1

A small dragoness weaved through the streets, the late afternoon sun baking her dusty-yellow scales in blistering golden rays, as dark brown talons billowed sand into the hot desert air. A cloth pouch bumped rhythmically against her chest with each step she took, the jewels and other goodies inside clashing along.

As always, the residents of Possibility bustled about in large crowds. The overwhelming but common occurrence swept dragons off their desired path or separated them from their companions entirely. That was the price that came with living in the largest, most popular multi-tribed city in Pyrrhia.

Maple was no stranger to navigating the busy streets. She'd been living in Possibility for the past four years of her life, and was quick to pick up how to avoid the throngs of potentially dangerous dragons. The hybrid had studied and memorized all the deserted alleyways and roads to the point where she could probably walk blinded and still reach her destination in one piece.

Her ears twitched in response to a sudden increase of sound. Just ahead sat the ever growing marketplace, the only location where newly acquired possessions could be bought and unwanted items could be sold. She didn't visit often, as she had almost everything she could ever need in the comforts of her own home and hunted for herself outside the city, but would seldomly drop by for any trinkets that may catch her eye.

When Mist, her mother, was still around, they would sometimes go shopping for antique statues and historic scrolls- all of which had either been taken with her or were destroyed in Maple's fits of rage.

Maple veered off the path leading to the marketplace, instead making her way into a whole different neighbourhood. It was relatively well kept and cleaner than numerous parts of Possibility, perhaps due to it being one of the more wealthier neighbourhoods. Only five pieces of trash could be seen scattered across the sand riddled ground- an extraordinary achievement for such a large community.

 _Take notes, neighbours,_ she scowled scornfully, her talons carrying her towards a tall building. The outskirts of the city, where she lived, weren't the best at keeping things… hygienic. One couldn't walk two steps without stubbing a talon on some lone piece of glass or junk. _Perhaps your pea sized brains may actually learn something._

As she neared the sand constructed structure, Maple took notice of the large ice-blue IceWing sitting lazily beside the door. She snorted small puffs of twinkling white crystals from her nostrils, her silver speckled snout dipped delicately forward to examine the small black box that she fiddled with in her talons. Without looking up, she gestured a silk scarf draped wing at the entrance.

Maple didn't know much about her, other than the fact that her name was Brisk and she was the daughter of Snowdrop, the owner of the building and collector of intriguing gemstones. She had only ever exchanged words with her briefly- neither of them were ever really content with starting a conversation. From what her mother had told her, Brisk could be just as grumpy as herself, although a bit less so. She would often go on about how she and her were so very similar.

Snowdrop was a friend of her mother's before she'd left Possibly for the Mud Kingdom. They had been coworkers at a once successful restaurant prior before its closing and the two had shared a strong bond. With Mist's departure, Snowdrop had opted to helping Maple out whenever she could, may it be through generous donations or just a motherly figure to confide in. And although the hybrid needed neither, it was a little heartwarming to know that someone still cared for her after everything she had done.

Even if that someone was an impatient and grouchy IceWing with an even grouchier and meaner daughter.

"You sure took your time," Brisk noted. A dull tone hid any emotion she may have been feeling. "She's waiting. Impatiently, I might add. Don't say anything that'll tick her off. Just give her what she wants and get out."

Maple snorted in response and entered the establishment. A bell softly chimed her arrival. She immediately took in the room's interior design.

The flooring was a velvet red carpet, lined with (clearly dyed) golden fur around the edge, and contrasted horribly with the flaxen walls. On display around the room were multi-coloured gemstones, mostly consisting of emeralds and diamonds. They sat in see-through boxes on little pedestals, allowing the sunlight that drafted through exposed windows to reflect off their colourful surfaces. A thick incomprehensible scent masked the entire building and she scrunched her snout in distaste.

 _Probably one of Snowdrop's stupid candles from upstairs. One day I'm going to shred them with my claws and stuff the leftover wax up her snout._

Near the back of the room, right by the fat black staircase that led to the upper floors, there was a desk. Another IceWing, Snowdrop, occupied the chair behind it, her claws tapping impatiently against the wood. At the sight of her, she produced an angry growl and narrowed her slitted pale silver eyes.

"I've been waiting five days!" she snapped, her fury obvious from her tone. "You said you could get it to me in _three_."

Maple reluctantly retrieved the brown pouch from around her neck and shuffled through the many contents inside. Her claws brushed over golden coins, pieces of copper, and rubies, before finally producing a small, rounded red diamond. Snowdrop's venting came to an end when Maple tossed the sparky gemstone into her own claws. Along with the awe stricken expression that overtook her features, her previous anger dissolved into delight.

For a few moments, silence crept between the two as the IceWing gleefully inspected her new treasure and Maple watched on with slight boredom. Snowdrop was always a little overly excited when it came to shiny jewels that she could add to her impressive collection and put on display. When she was first getting to really know her, the IceWing would explain with exquisite detail about how she'd love gemstones since she was a teeny dragonet and wanted to be a collector of them.

"I can't believe you've actually managed to find me a red diamond," cooed Snowdrop appreciatively once she had gathered her bearings. "When you first offered it to me, I thought you were kidding. These are pretty rare, nearly impossible to find. Where'd you get it?"

Maple scowled at the older dragon, matching her narrowed gaze with an identical one of her own. "Does it matter? All you need to know is that I brought it to you."

Hardly surprised by her condescending tone, Snowdrop gave her another quick suspicious lookover before nodding her head in agreement and turning the diamond over. "I suppose not. I won't pry. I know you like your secrets," she replied. "Thank you for bringing this to me."

"It was no problem," Maple replied, shrugging her wings. "I suppose I just wanted to repay you for the kindness you've shown to me since my-" She paused and inhaled sharply "-Mist's departure."

Snowdrop offered a sympathetic smile, one she didn't returned. Instead, she flicked her barbed tail to signal goodbye and whirled around to head for the door.

"Could you please call Brisk in?" Snowdrop called after her.

Muttering a muffled "yeah" in response, the hybrid left the mini "museum" of gemstones. She was greeted with Brisk sitting outside and continuing to stare intently at the black box. For a moment, Maple wondered whatever could be so important, but dismissed the unimportant inquiry.

Evening was approaching quickly and the mass of dragons that had once occupied the streets was thinning. The blue skies were being overtaken by a brilliant sunset of orange, red, and hints of purple. If she were anybody else, she'd find the sight breathtaking.

But she wasn't, and her gaze momentarily raked the scenery, before she settled her attention on the dragon beside her.

"Mother wants me inside, doesn't she?" Brisk grumbled. She stretched her wings tiredly and rose to her feet, but still did not spare Maple a glance. "It _is_ getting pretty late."

Without another word, Brisk hurried inside and Maple watched her go until her whip-tip tail whisked out of sight, with the door shutting softly behind her.

Finally registering what Brisk had said and acknowledging the approaching night, Maple decided it might have been a good idea to start heading back to her home as well. She angled herself in the right direction and started home as the shadows of the buildings got longer and night descended upon Possibility.


	3. Chapter 2

By the time Maple reached home, night had finally befallen upon the city and the once bright blue skies were overtaken by angry gray clouds that flashed with bolts of a vibrant purple and showered Possibility in heavy rain. Raindrops pelted her scales and drenched her to the bone, leaving her violently quivering and her teeth chattering. Quickly, she swung open the door to her rectangular brick of a house and shook herself off once she was safely inside.

The brown rug beneath her was immediately soaked in rainwater. She lit a torch beside the door and its toasty fiery glow made her ice cold skin feel a thousand times better. Extending her dripping wet wings, she allowed the flame to warm them as well. She sighed in relief as her shivering decreased and the bitterness lacing her scales subsided.

 _Last time I come home so late. Ah, how I hate the rain,_ her mind grumbled grouchily, slightly regretting her chase after the unsuspecting vulture she had devoured moments before. _I suppose it was worth it, though. It was pretty tasty and filling..._

Maple _hated_ the rain. With her SandWing side being much more dominant than the MudWing, she couldn't stand getting wet or being tremendously cold. And she could care less for the mushy mud-like sand that oozed between her talons while she was on her way home. It was absolutely disgusting.

Once feeling had returned to her limbs, Maple put out the torch and made a beeline for her sleeping cave. Exhaustion coursed through her bones and reduced the state of her mind to a cloudy haze. She stifled a cross between a yawn and a groan. She couldn't wait to sleep.

She crossed the living room into a narrow hallway big enough to house two full grown dragons. Her sleeping cave was at the end of the hall, after the kitchen and her mother's room. Mist had left all her stuff behind when she'd split on her daughter, so her abandoned possessions lay messily scattered on the floor. Maple hadn't entered it since then, refusing to even acknowledge its presence and be bombarded by unwanted memories. Once or twice she had been tempted to set everything in there on fire or somehow permanently block off the entrance so she wouldn't have to look at it, but suspected that her landlord _probably_ wouldn't appreciate it.

So, she would just have to put up with it.

 _Which is quite a shame,_ she noted, trying not to direct her glare onto the cave's opening. _I know I would have received at least_ some _satisfaction by watching that whole cave burn._

Maple didn't have a use for the kitchen either. She usually just roasted her prey with her dragon fire and ate it that way. Having previously worked at a restaurant and a vast love for cooking, her mother used to prepare the two of them very prestigious and mouthwatering meals for dinner, when she wasn't in an ill-tempered mood of course. Perhaps that was one thing she missed about Mist.

Maple entered her dark sleeping cave with another yawn. She set her satchel down onto the stone night table by the door and plopped down onto the golden-brown blankets and cushions huddled together in a corner.

Any tension in her scales immediately dwindled away when she sank into the familiar comfort of her own sleeping nest. She usually spent a majority of her time here, curled up in the sheets and re-reading scrolls she'd already read a million times before. It wasn't like she had anything better to do than repeatedly endure fictional adventures alongside her favourite characters.

But she wasn't in the mood or a good state of mind for any reading tonight. She rubbed her eyes and laid her snout down onto her front talons. The hybrid was too tired from the day's earlier events.

She extended her wings and rested them by her sides. Shutting her eyes and flooding any remaining thoughts from her brain, she listened in on the calm _pit-patter_ of fat raindrops splattering onto the roof above her, before settling into a deep slumber.

* * *

Grains of sand trickled between the spaces in her claws as Maple patted it perfectly into place, smiling a particularly wide grin. Across from her sat a pale golden SandWing, whom was also cheerfully packing the sand into neat little castles. The ridge along his spine was an eerie black, and three rings of black scales speckled with tan specks ran around his neck. He was well-muscled and stocky, with a thin light pink scar trailing down his front, right leg, starting where his wings met his shoulders.

The sun bore down on the small, tropical island, its bright, yellow rays danced across the sparkling clear blue salt water, the tide licking at the sandy shore. The wind lightly snagged at the leaves of the trees. Seagulls flew around above, eyeing the dragon family of three below with distrusting gazes and noisily squawking with, what one could assume was, alarm.

Despite the warm atmosphere, a cool chill trailed down the hybrid's spine and she shuddered, recoiling from the current sand castle she was building and shooting her father a worried look. Her scales tingled with the sense that something was _wrong,_ that something _bad_ was about to happen, that if she didn't figure out _what_ , her life would change, most likely for the worse.

Maple shook out her wings dismissively and silently tsked. She needed to stop spending so much time secretly listening in on her mother talk about distressing news from the mainland. Obviously it was making her paranoid. She was only a year old, what could she possibly have to worry about that her parents couldn't handle? They were the toughest dragons she had ever known. Although that wasn't saying much, considering she had a _very_ limited list of dragons to talk to.

"Are you alright, Maple?" Hyrax asked, noticing the anxious crease of her brows.

"Yep," Maple chirped in reply, dragging her barbed tail through the sand so that it wrapped around her back talons. "Just thinking."

"Well, don't hurt yourself," he said jokingly as he shook sand from his claws. "I think I'm done with castle building today. I want to go for a swim."

"Swim? Can I come?" the dragonet asked hopefully, blinking up at him with big blue-gray eyes. She knew how hard it was for him to resist her whenever she wanted something, especially when she pulled out the puppy-dog eyes like typical dragonets did in scrolls. Her mother didn't have the same fragile will power as he did and she would probably disapprove of the idea if she brought it up to her. Something about "safety" and how she was "too young to be exploring the dangers of the sea".

 _Which is wrong_! she thought bitterly. _I'm sure I totally can handle myself out there! How is Mother supposed to know when she hasn't even given me a chance_?

"Pretty pweeeease?" she asked again, lacing her voice with all the sweetness she could muster.

Hyrax chuckled. "Sorry, kiddo, but you've already heard your mother and I'd rather not receive a vicious tongue lashing from her if I can avoid one. I'm sure she'll let you go in a few months."

Maple humphed and crossed her forearms over her faded orange chest. She glared angrily at the nearby tangle of trees to avoid looking at him.

The SandWing heaved a heavy sigh and prodded her with a blunt claw. "Look, how about I make it up to you? We can journey to the mainland tomorrow. I heard that a new batch of 'Isle of Tomorrow' scrolls are available in the nearest marketplace. They're your favourite, aren't they?"

Maple tilted her head, considering. She _did_ want to read those scrolls. They were prophecies written by NightWings, with different interpretations on them dictated by other tribes. She found them quite intriguing. Mist had introduced them to her a few weeks ago, after being given them by her siblings back in the MudWing Kingdom, and almost immediately the dragonet had gotten hooked.

Besides, Hyrax would buy her some pretty little trinket to go along with the scrolls. She already had a bunch stored in a small chest in her sleeping cave from all the times he wanted to apologize to her.

 _Something blue,_ Maple mused. _A necklace of sapphires, maybe. I can wear it with one of my bracelets._

"Okay, fine." The amber ridge along her spine flared as she spoke. "But you better live up to your promise!"

"Of course," Hyrax said, nuzzling her snout with his. "I'm going to check in with your mother first. See you in a bit, my little sapling."

Pulling away, he trotted towards the direction of a MudWing sunbathing on the smooth flat surface of a large stone. Her multi-brown shades shone like treasure in the brilliant sunlight. Her eyes were closed and Maple would've assumed she was napping had she not opened them moments before Hyrax lumbered over.

Maple turned back to her sand castles. There were three completed ones so far- not including her father's, which looked like almost exact replicas of the SandWings' royal palace. Hyrax had grown up there and she briefly wondered if perhaps he missed his home. She knew he wasn't allowed to return, in fear of being executed for treason. Her father had left his entire life behind to pursue a relationship with Mist, something that was often looked down upon.

It was pretty much an unspoken rule in almost the kingdoms that hybrids weren't supposed to exist, that dragons should stick to their own _tribes_ instead of contaminating their superior blood with others. Yet, there were still more and more of them popping up everyday.

Except the Rainforest Tribes. It was common knowledge that since Ex-Queen Glory's rule, many NightWing-RainWing hybrids, and even some who weren't, resided there. The tribes were basically one, and although "pure-blooded" dragons outweighed them, they were still pretty common and accepted as part of the community.

 _The only kingdom that's actually sensible. Surprisingly, the SkyWings are a close second,_ Maple thought, thinking back to the scroll she had read earlier. _I don't think they really care. Queen Quail seems like the type that wouldn't worry about "contamination of blood". Whatever that means._

She snorted in surprise and almost fell over when Mist suddenly thumped down beside her, the smoke around her horns spiraling like columns. Her moonstone gray eyes were narrowed and she was glaring at the sea, where Hyrax's golden glow could be seen wading through the shallow waters.

"Your father is an idiot," the MudWing snarled. "Explain to me why I love him again?"

Maple drew small windows onto the sides of her castles, along with a few doors. "How am I supposed to know? It's your fault for marrying him."

Mist huffed and resettled her wings into a comfortable arrangement. "I told him he could go be as stupid as he wants, I didn't think he would take it _literally_."

"He's _Hyrax_ ," Maple countered. "Have you met him?"

"I suppose," she grumbled with a sigh. She rose to her feet and shook her head, as if whisking away all the insulting thoughts she must have been directing at him. The MudWing approached her rock once more.

Maple sent another worried glance towards the ocean, searching for any signs of the golden glow, before shrugging her wings nonchalantly. Hyrax would be back sooner or later. She really needed to calm her frazzled nerves.

As she turned back to towards her castles, a pool of dread formed in the pit of her stomach, as sudden as the shudder she had felt before.

Following it, her breathing accelerated uncontrollably and with shaking talons, the hybrid grabbed a hold of her head. She could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as her vision blurred. Her heart ached, her head pounded, and her body shrieked with pain, as if she was being ripped apart from the inside. She curled up into a small ball and tightly wrapped her wings around herself.

The trees, the beach, her mother's resting form- everything faded away into an endless expanse of darkness.

And then, Maple screamed.


	4. Chapter 3

Maple awoke with a throbbing headache.

A pained hiss slipped between her teeth as she lifted her head from its resting place on a gold-brown pillow and slowly gathered her frazzled wits. Her gaze drifted to the window beside her nest, straining her eyes against the blinding sunlight. She knew it was early morning from the lack of moving bodies outside. Only two NightWings and a SkyWing could be seen scattered across the street from her house, and a mouse, juvenile to venture into Possibility, was scampering away from their snapping jaws.

She relaxed her tight grip on the sheets she hadn't realized she was clenching and took comfort in the familiar sight of her somewhat empty room. She was still in Possibility, she was still at home.

 _It was just a dream._

Maple forced her wings to stop quivering and heaved a heavy sigh as she curled back into a ball. _Just a dream_ , she repeated, over and over. _You're being ridiculous. It's been four moonblasted years. You need to get over it. Don't be like Mist. There's no point in spending the rest of your life mourning over something that can't be undone._

Yet her body continued to fidget anxiously. Her heart hammered aggressively against her rib cage, nearly replicating the thunderous beating of a drum, and her dark brown talons fiddled and tore at the corner of a cushion anxiously. She hadn't even begun to calm her rapid panting and couldn't cease the image of lifeless black eyes forming in her mind. Her screams still echoed in her ears.

The hybrid lashed her tail and let out a low growl. She needed to go hunting. Surely it would calm her nerves. Despite her lack of appetite, she knew from the aftermath of fights with her mother that the thrill of an anticipating hunt usually took her mind off her problems.

She pressed a claw softly to her temple and winced in agony. Hopefully her headache would fade, or at least somewhat dissipate, by the time she returned home.

Untangling herself from the sheets, Maple retrieved her pouch from the dresser, threw the strap over her head, and hurriedly exited the confines of her room.

The moment she stepped outside, she was hit with the cool early morning breeze of the desert. It tugged harshly at her wings, as if urging her to fly alongside it, and howled fiercely in her ears.

Yesterday's rainfall had done a number on the city. Water raced down rooftops, soaking the sand below and forming relatively large puddles on her neighbour's porches. Pieces of wood charred at the tip- once torches, most likely- were sprawled across the ground, contributing to the already growing mass of trash. Some buildings were stripped of their previous coatings of paint. A few palm trees had even toppled over from the harsh wind.

She suppressed a mildly violent shudder when she touched down onto the uncomfortably wet and mud-like sand, but the skin beneath her scales continued to crawl and prickle with disgust. Deciding to avoid further contact until necessary, she flared open her wings and took to the cyan blue skies, which were still dotted with dispatching storm clouds from the previous night.

Her journey to outside the borders of Possibility wasn't a long one. By the time she dropped down onto a lone steady boulder, hooked her claws in between the cracks of the once smooth surface, and quickly scanned the desert for any signs of prey, the sun had barely changed its position.

Apart from a towering group of cacti off to her left and a small band of ocotillo sprouting pretty pink-reddish flowers a few ways ahead of her, nothing seemingly alive or edible could be seen for miles.

Maple folded her wings back and made herself comfortable on her little perch, draping her tail over her front talons. It was eerily silent, as usual, just the way she would have liked it had it not been for her treacherous conscience delivering heart-wrenching nightmares or her sudden and unusual anxiety.

She growled and poked a hole into the sand, her eyes narrowed. She'd been having these nightmares since her mother had left two months ago, but never had they shaken her so. What was different about this particular one?

 _Dreams about Hyrax are pretty rare_ , she mused and flexed her talons. _I usually dream of Mist and me pathetically crying and violently cracking open skulls. Hers, to be exact. If only._

Deep down, she knew she would never actually hurt her mother. Yell and scream at her, perhaps, but never severely injure or kill. Mist had taken care of Maple all by herself for four long years, and although her parenting skills and actions were a little… questionable, she had loved Maple as best as she could.

 _But on the off chance I_ do _see her again, I would never forgive her, let alone allow her back into my life. What kind of "loving" mother just leaves her daughter to fend for herself in a city like Possibility? Sure what I did might be classified as wrong, but I was just trying to survive. Why couldn't she appreciate that?_

It didn't matter anyway. Mist had made her choice months ago and Maple had accustomed to it. She was good at things like that. She hadn't let the death of her father faze her as much as it did her mother, and she'd applied that same emotionless and I-don't-care attitude to her current abandonment situation.

Although it really wasn't as successful as it was the first time around. Sometimes she would cry herself to sleep thinking about how she'd messed up everything, and other times she would tear apart her own household with the rage and fury that had gradually built up inside her.

Maple was snapped out of her thoughts at a sudden movement in the sand. Her ears shot up, alert, and she subconsciously leaned forward to batter her gaze around the empty landscape. At first, she was unable to identify anything, but then her eyes snagged onto a small, pale yellow figure scurrying through the sand.

 _Desert fox_ , she realized. _My favourite._

Silently, Maple slipped off the boulder and edged towards her desired kill from behind. It hadn't heard or smelt her presence yet, as its pace began to noticeably slack, and she took that moment to dart forward and trap it beneath her claws. It writhed and wiggled in attempt to get free, yowling a shrill and desperate cry. She delivered a swift nip to the fox's neck, killing it instantly.

She brought her prey back to her boulder, where she then guzzled it down in very few, rapid, and messy gulps. Apparently she was hungrier than she had earlier presumed.

After deeming herself satisfied and discarding the carcass of her meal into a hole she had dug up, Maple jumped up and wheeled around to return home.

Numerous dragons were up and about now in Possibility, with the sun having risen higher than before she'd left, and the irrepressible crowds were once again beginning to fill the streets. The smell of roasted seagulls drifted from the marketplace, along with the smell of raw fish, and she inhaled both longingly.

Maple slowed her velocity and tipped her head forward, listening in on the various conversations below for city updates and the like as she flew by.

Eventually becoming disinterested by news of "fresh crocs", "incoming circuses", and "Jade Mountain applications" (she suspected the last one was a scam) and picking up no particularly useful information, the hybrid flapped her wings to gain speed.

As she neared her neighbourhood, the first change she noticed was the sudden increase of SandWing soldiers.

Maple halted in the sky and peered closer, bristling. There were five- or maybe six- of them, all sporting bronze palace armor entwined with hints of gold that bore the royal sigil: a scorpion. The nearby dragons stopped and stared with bewilderment and curiosity, although some flinched nervously when they passed by (probably criminals themselves, she guessed). She looked ahead to pinpoint where they were heading to and stifled a snarl when she realized that the trail led to her home.

Fox dung.

The hybrid quickly dove out of sight, landing behind an abandoned joint a block away from the soldiers, before pacing in place restlessly, her thoughts whirling. Her newly acquired stress added another wave of pain and nausea to her headache.

 _I thought I would be safe here, or at least given a little head's up before they finally found me. I was so sure that I covered all the traces of my existence,_ Maple thought, as she wrung her claws uneasily.

 _I need to leave the city. Queen Andhi will kill me without hesitation if I'm captured. What about my treasure though? I left it inside and I need it. I couldn't have gone through all that just to have it taken away from me. Not without a fight, anyway._

 _Maybe Snowdrop can help. Find some way to get past them before they can even touch it. Or I could fight my way through, although somehow I doubt I'll win against five well trained SandWings._

 _I'm going with the first option… it seems only sensible. If anybody can help me, it's her. She's the only adult dragon I know anyway._

Maple shot one more nervous glance at the marching SandWings, their jaws set determinedly and posture perfectly poised, before whipping around and taking off in the opposite direction.


	5. Chapter 4

Brisk was sitting outside by the steps again when she arrived, her expression twisted with worry and her fidgeting talons still holding the same black box from the day before. As she neared the extensive house, Maple could see the multiple dents that marked the exterior of the box, as if the IceWing had thrown it across the room, retrieved it, and then thrown it again numerous times over.

 _I wonder what's in there that's got her so entranced_? She thought, but of course, didn't bother voicing her question out loud. _I'll probably never be able to get a word out of that one, much less a response._

Maple dropped down onto the sands. She flung open the lime green door of Snowdrop's home, and for a moment, she wondered if she'd stumbled upon the wrong place.

Gone were Snowdrop's precious gemstones and jewels, leaving only their bare pedestals and empty glass cases behind. _She must move them somewhere else for safekeeping during the night, though I wonder where. It explains why she's never been robbed, aside from her high status in the city._

Realizing her train of thought and the fact she was standing mindlessly in the doorway, she shook her head and continued forward. _Focus, Maple. You're kind of on a tight I-need-to-get-out-of-the-city-as-quickly-as-possible-unless-I-intend-on-dying-tonight schedule._

Unsurprisingly, Snowdrop wasn't at her usual place behind her desk. She never took Snowdrop as a dragon who would get out of bed earlier than she had to.

Maple hurriedly bounded up the black steps and raced down the large hallway she was greeted with. Blue and white tapestries decorated almost every empty space on the silver walls. A particular one caught her eye- of an IceWing roaring up to the stars and the three ghostly pale figures of the moons. Fireflies flickered and danced around him, illuminating the inky blank scenery and casting shimmering gold lights onto his light silver scales.

Claws tapped the wooden flooring. Maple averted her gaze from the extravagant piece to see Snowdrop approaching her, her appearance looking exhausted and worn. Golden chains were weaved around her horns and numerous diamond rings adorned her claws, along with amethysts stubbing almost all of her spines.

Her silver eyes were attracted to the tapestry as well and Maple instantly spotted the familiar look of longing hidden within their depths. It was a stare she had often found herself wearing.

"My husband," Snowdrop said, almost bitterly. "Ermine. He left Brisk and I a few years ago. Never told us where we went. Just… got up and disappeared. Brisk thinks he may have returned to the IceWing Kingdom, but my friends up north haven't seen him. He was actually the one who created this piece and quite a few others in this hall, you know. He was a wonderful artist, even took it up as an occupation and sold many of his pieces."

Maple couldn't muster up the care to be sympathetic during that moment, her mind too focused on her own problems. Each second that ticked by made the scenario of her treasure being taken even more realistic and probable.

 _And imprisonment or death,_ her mind helpfully added. _Eventually they'll be swarming Possibility in search of you and then you'll have nowhere to run._

 _Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, self conscience._

Besides, she was _vaguely_ sure she'd already heard all of Snowdrop's sob stories about her husband.

"I'm sorry to bother you so early, Snowdrop," Maple said with a grimace. "But I'm afraid I am in need of your assistance."

The IceWing tore her gaze away from the tapestry to properly address her and cocked her head. "Oh?" The spines along her tail rose curiously. "That's a first. Whatever is the problem? It doesn't have to do with the diamond you gave me, right? Such a rare jewel. I would hate to have to return that."

"Of course not," Maple snorted in response. "I- well, how do I explain this?" She paused. "I'm being hunted."

Snowdrop arched a brow at her. "Hunted? By whom? I swear if it's those troublemaking SandWing siblings again-"

 _After you nearly took out their eyes and ripped open their stomachs, I'm sure they got the message_. "Soldiers. Vengeful palace soldiers," Maple growled simply.

"That's strange," the IceWing muttered as she furrowed her brow in confusion. "Are you aware as to why?"

Maple directed her burning gaze to the floor and curled her talons into fists. _I could always lie to her, but the consequence of her finding out on her own may be worse than not telling her at all. I've already got one parental figure mad at me- even if she wasn't a good one- do I really want another?_

"I stole from the royal palace and killed two dragons," she confessed, inhaling sharply. "My mom had nothing after the restaurant closed down. We were going to become homeless if I hadn't done anything. I couldn't stand by and watch that happen. I had no choice."

Snowdrop was quiet for an uncomfortably long moment. Maple prepared herself for the words of hatred she would surely spew. She had imagined this exact situation with her mother many times in her head and it would always end the same way. Mist would scream at her, insisting that she was an awful, awful dragon and that she deserved to live alone and die alone, accompanied only by her mistakes and regrets and scarring memories of her constant neglect. Finally, she would whip around and leave without sparing even a glance at her daughter.

 _I'm quite glad you left,_ Mother, she thought. _I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to say all those things to me. Although, I doubt you'd ever had the guts to. You always knew how quickly I'd have my claws through your throat if you managed to tick me off to that point._

"Maple." Snowdrop draped a wing over her shoulders and back. The younger dragoness flinched at the physical contact, but didn't pull away like she normally would have. Snowdrop might be willing to somehow offer her help, why throw away that chance with her usual rude behaviour? "While I am extremely skeptical and disappointed at your choice, you are still Mist's daughter and I will aid you in safely exiting the city."

Maple hid the relieved smile creeping its way onto her lips and pulled out of Snowdrop's gasp, nodding meekly in response. "Thank you, but I don't need help with getting out of the city. That'll be easy." _For now anyway, but not if I keep wasting time_. "I need to get my treasure. It's inside my house, but as you can probably guess, they're already there."

 _Which once again begs the question of how they found me in the first place. All my victims were either murdered or knocked unconscious. Unless I missed one… but I couldn't have, could I? And why would they just bring it up now, two months after it happened? No, no. It had to be someone else._

Snowdrop squinted at her. "Honestly, that should be the least of your worries, Maple."

"I don't want to have to gone through all that trouble just to have it snatched away from me," the hybrid snapped back, her wings slightly flared. "Besides, I'll probably need it wherever I'm going, if I ever find a new home in another village. So yes, Snowdrop, it's a large and pretty necessary concern of mine."

"Well when you put it like that…" She sighed, studying her thoughtfully. "Have they seen you yet? Are there any other ways to access your house?"

"No. I got out of there when I first spotted them and where they were going," Maple replied before acknowledging her second question. "Yeah, there's a back door."

"Then I suggest-"

She was interrupted by Brisk loudly storming up the steps and skidding to a stop at her mother's side. She shot Maple a venomous glare, one that was returned with her own nonchalant one, before anxiously gazing up at her mother.

 _Finally she abandons the stupid toy_ , Maple sniffed, noticing the lack of a rectangular object in the other dragonet's talon. _Or whatever it was._

"Oh, Brisk!" Snowdrop greeted. "Whatever is the problem, Ice Cube?"

Maple snickered at the nickname and received another cold glare. "First, don't call me that. Second, there are SandWings approaching our home," Brisk reported. "They look pretty enraged. Did you find something sparkly on the streets again, Mother? I'd have thought we've already discussed this."

Maple froze. Was she followed? "Are you sure?"

"I wasn't talking to _you_ , but yes."

Snowdrop glanced between the two of them worriedly before ushering both of them into one of the guest rooms. Brisk immediately protested at the idea of being alone with the "conniving viper that's going to kill us in our sleep" (Maple tried _oh so very hard_ not to bite her tail at that comment), but was ultimately ignored by her mother, who turned to glare at them sternly.

" _Stay. Here_ ," Snowdrop ordered.

Maple held up her talons innocently and shrugged her wings, smiling toothily. "No objections here," she said, while Brisk only grumbled irritability in response.

Nodding slowly, Snowdrop softly shut the door behind her. Maple listened to her frantically scramble down the staircase until the sound of her serrated claws against black marble faded and then turned to register the room the IceWing had stuck them in.

It was nearly empty, save for a large nest of soft cushions nestled in one of the far corners, fit for three or four full grown dragons from the looks of it, and an unlit torch hanging from the wall above it. The flooring was the same as the level below, a light velvet carpet lined with golden fur around the edges, but unlike the lobby's, this cave's walls held vibrant spiral patterns of silver diamonds and sparkling rubies, along with hints of ice-blue.

 _Snowdrop sure loves her jewelry_ , Maple observed as she settled down in a corner of the large nest and buried her head between her claws. Her headache was almost non-existent now, save for the rare throbs that continued to thrive. _Oooo, how comfy. I should really try getting hunted down more often, if it means I get to stay here for a while. My bed isn't nearly as soft as this_.

The sudden sound of the door creaking open reached her ears. Reluctantly, she raised her head to hiss in Brisk's general direction. The dragonet was attempting to leave the room, despite her mother's previous order.

"Where are you going?" Maple scowled, only half caring. If Brisk wished to ignore her mother's wishes and receive an angry tongue lashing afterwards, that was not of her concern. "Snowdrop says to stay here."

"Do I look like the type that cares? I would like to know who my mother is dealing with _by herself_ , thank you very much. Wouldn't you?" was Brisk's dry reply, before she, too, slithered down the steps, leaving Maple alone with her sour, disapproving thoughts.

Not even moments after she left, Maple leapt up after her. _What if Brisk hears the wrong thing and she realizes they're here for me?_ She thought anxiously, flaring her wings open so as to stop her collision with the dragon currently occupying her thoughts. Once again she was given an annoyed look. _Snowdrop would never rat me out, but her daughter on the other talon would be perfectly content with me being dragged away in chains and never having to see my face again._

The two paused midway down the stairs, close enough to hear what was being said downstairs, but far enough so as not to be seen. _If she hears something she's not supposed to and makes any move to run downstairs, I'll drag her back upstairs and attempt to reason with her spiteful little mind. And if not, I can always knock her out. That works, too._

"Hello, fellas," Snowdrop's needlessly chirpy voice greeted. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Hello, Miss," grunted a dragon. A male and the leader, Maple guessed, from the deep, raspy, and empowering tone he spoke with. "We're looking for a hybrid. Yellow-brownish scales, about a five year old dragonet, Mud-Sand, and blue eyes. Seen anyone of that description? We were informed that she may have entered your establishment."

Maple peered at Brisk suspiciously for a reaction, but to her surprise, the IceWing remained passive. She hadn't even glanced over at her.

 _Guess I was wrong then. Perhaps she does like me more than I previously thought she did._

Somehow she still found that unlikely.

"No, sorry," replied Snowdrop, her claws tapping against her desk could be heard from the dragonets' current position. "I get dragons stopping by here all the time and quickly dismiss their faces when they leave. Even if she had came by, I'd never be able to pick her out for you."

"Pity." Maple flinched at how much weight and menace that one word carried and immediately tensed, curling her tail in close. The soldier sighed before muttering something incomprehensible. "And disheartening."

Suddenly, she heard Snowdrop's deafening shriek and unfamiliar angry hisses overtake the scene, before a sickening snap outpowered them all. Brisk hurriedly made her way down the last flight of stairs and emerged into the lobby, Maple following closely behind.

She was paralyzed by the sight before her.

 _No._

Snowdrop's neck laid limply in the talons of the only SandWing that had spoken, the life and spirit that had once occupied her eyes and very being, gone. Blue liquid dribbled from the corners of her mouth, running down the length of her chin and dripped onto the floors below, forever staining the carpets.

"Mom…" Brisk whispered, tentatively reaching out for her mother's corpse, but was forced to back away by the snapping teeth of the other soldiers.

The leader SandWing dropped Snowdrop's lifeless form, watching it crumple pathetically, before he directed his fury-induced gaze onto Maple, grinning somewhat mockingly. "Ah. Just the dangerous little criminal we've been looking for."


	6. Chapter 5

Brisk was the first to move.

Serrated claws struck SandWing scales, her jaws snapping open to reveal menacing teeth, as she fought Snowdrop's killer. Deadly frostbreath devoured her unfortunate victim, sending him crashing to the carpet, spasming and screaming in pain. The IceWing pinned him and ripped into his exposed underbelly, her narrowed eyes burning with anger and prickling with tears.

"You killed my mother!" Brisk shrieked as she choked back a sob. Maple shook herself free from her daze and leapt between the IceWing and the three approaching soldiers, snarling and swinging her tail in a wide arc in an attempt to keep them at bay.

 _Make your revenge quick, Ice Cube_ , Maple thought, carefully avoiding one of the SandWing's stingers. _I don't know how long I can hold them off before they pull out their torches and pit forks._

"I'm going to kill you the same way you murdered her," she heard Brisk hiss softly as she shoved back the other soldiers, whirling around to witness the termination of their foe. Without another word, the IceWing's claws sliced savagely through the leader's throat.

Maple eyed the lifeless corpse and almost gagged at the metallic stench of blood that assailed up her nostrils. _Way to make a bloody mess of things_ , she thought as she eyed the carpet and forming red puddle with disdain.

She was distracted from the gruesome attraction when claws hooked into her shoulders and threw her into the arms of one of the SandWings, who restrained her to the ground. Hissing, she thrashed wildly in his hold, but his grip was tight and his weight was heavier than her own.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Brisk facing off against the second SandWing and, when she shifted her gaze, heavy chains being dragged in from the open door by the third.

 _No way are you getting those on me_. Using newfound desperation, Maple managed to yank an arm free and elbow her opponent in the stomach.

The SandWing stumbled off her, winded and dazed. She didn't allow him any time to recover as she thumped him over the head with her tail and blasted fire at his wings. He yelped in pain and batted his wings together, trying to put out the flame that made quick work of eating away at the membranes. His frantic flailing was knocking over pedestals, sending their vacant glass cases shattering. Maple winced at the display. _It's not like Snowdrop will ever be able to use them again._

 _Kill him! Kill him before he finally regains his senses!_ Her mind practically screamed at her, but she was hesitant to obey. She already had enough blood on her talons, why add more to the load?

 _Andhi will be angrier than she already is now if I kill another one of her dragons. I may be reckless, but I'm not stupid. I know a bad idea when I see one_. She cast another glance over at Brisk, who had already knocked out the soldier that had carried in the chains unconscious and currently grappled with the last SandWing. _Her on the other talon..._

Swiping the desert dragon's feet out from under him with her tail, Maple slammed into the side of Brisk's adversary. The IceWing shot her a surprised glare, and then burst into all out growling fit when Maple grabbed her by the tail and dragged her forcefully out of the house. She didn't stop when they stepped forth outside, and proceeded to make her way the other end of the neighbourhood, which was now teeming with dragons.

"We need to run!" Maple yelled once they back on the street leading to the marketplace. "We need to get far away from here!"

Unsurprisingly, Brisk was resistant, her voice dripping with venom. "My mother's killers are in there! They deserve to _die_ and I have to be the one to do it."

"I'm almost certainly sure Snowdrop wouldn't want you killed for her sake," Maple shot back. "Now, again, we have to go."

"We?" Brisk barked a haughty laugh, bristling. "I'm not going anywhere with you, especially since you seem to be the cause of this whole mess." She studied her with angry narrowed navy slits. " _The cause of my mother's death_."

Her words cut her like a knife and Maple flinched. _Of course she blames me for that. If Snowdrop had never met me, much less wasted her time on me, she'd still be here. She'd be alive and living happily and peacefully with her daughter._

 _She should of just snitched on me. They probably would have spared her then._

"What, no smart, self righteous comeback?" sneered Brisk once more. "I knew you were trouble the first time I saw you. You practically _radiated_ it."

"Snowdrop didn't seem to sense that."

"Mother was too preoccupied worrying over the hapless orphan who wouldn't seem to leave us alone."

A growl rumbled deep in Maple's throat and she wondered briefly if perhaps she should have left the IceWing to suffer at the talons of the SandWings alone. _Certainly would have been a load off my chest._

"I don't need to hear this. Good luck wherever you're going, _Ice Cube_ ," the hybrid retorted sarcastically. Whipping around, she leapt into the crisp air of the sky and didn't look back until she was sure Brisk was gone.

 _What now? I certainly can't stay here. There will be more soldiers than ever looking for me now. I can't just hide in the desert and I have no idea what villages would even be safe for me to temporarily reside in._

 _Except for one…_

Maple dug inside her satchel and pulled out an old scroll, its edges ripped and wrinkled and the paper yellow. She unraveled the scroll to reveal a map of the Kingdom of Sand, each city, town, and village marked down with red, green, and gold.

 _Here_. She rested a claw on the small shape of a scorpion near the border of the Sky Kingdom, which was marked in gold. _The Scorpion Den_.

* * *

When Maple landed again, it was in an abandoned tavern on the edge of Possibility. Carefully, she swept away shards of broken glass scattered across the wooden floor and headed further inside. A counter sat just off to the left of her, its surface masked in dust and sand, cushioned seats occupying the space in front of it.

Maple swept the muck off of the counter and sat down in one of the chairs, glancing around the tattered building. The walls, once a vibrant, ivory green, had been reduced to a dull and bare version of their former selves. An unlit bronze chandelier hung loosely above her head, shuddering with each gust of wind that flitted through cracks in the foundation of the structure.

She remembered coming here only a few months ago. She'd stumbled upon the tavern two years before during a lazy trek around the city, deserted and forgotten. Upon this discovery, it had become her escape from home.

Or more accurately, her escape from her mother.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was tired and needed a nap. What better place to do so than her home away from home? She had already checked to make sure no suspicious-looking SandWings had followed her, or any other dragons for that matter.

Shifting on the seat, Maple rested her head one the counter and shut her drooping eyes.

Which shot open only mere moments later at the barely audible sound of talons entering the abandoned establishment.

Maple hopped off the chair and turned to face the intruder, her lips curled back into a snarl. Her demeanor only grew more hostile when she recognized them as one of the SandWings from earlier.

 _At least she's alone_ , she observed. _Stupid of her I suppose, but lucky for me_.

"Wait," the SandWing said cautiously, holding her talons up in an act of surrender. "I'm here to help, Maple."

"Fat chance," Maple spat in response. "Am I supposed to believe you after you and your little _soldier_ boys murdered my fri- acquaintance?"

The SandWing heaved a sigh and had the decency to look ashamed. "That wasn't part of the plan. If she didn't comply, we were supposed to take her to the queen for questioning and then we would have had to let her go. Desolate was never supposed to kill her. He was out of line." _Sure he was._

"I apologize if I sound a little skeptical of that statement."

"You don't have to be believe me, but that still won't stop me from helping my niece escape from certain death."

 _I'm sorry - what?_

Sensing her confusion, the SandWing continued. "You are Hyrax's daughter, correct?"

Through the dim lighting, Maple peered closer to make out the typical sand-coloured scales of a SandWing, along with flecks of a stark white, and an underbelly of the same shade. Piercing her ears were large, golden hoop earrings.

 _"I bought them for her on our fifth hatching day. I remember her pointing them out to me while we were traveling through the kingdom's capital only days before. She called them a pair of miniature suns. Cheesy, I know. They did match well with her wings though."_

Maple blinked and shook away the last echoes of her father's voice.

 _It_ is _her. Hyrax's sister. My aunt._

"Kultarr," Maple said, testing the word on her tongue. The SandWing nodded. "Hyrax and Kultarr. Did your parents like rodents or something?"

"Don't know," replied Kultarr, tapping a single claw impatiently against the floor as she avoided the sharp shards. "Don't care. But enough small talk, it's time to go. It won't be long until someone back at the palace notices my absence." She gestured to the tavern's exit with a wing.

"Just because you're _family_ doesn't mean you won't hesitate to betray me," Maple scoffed, standing her ground. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Kultarr huffed. "Hyrax never mentioned you being this impossible. If I wanted to imprison you, we'd already be on our way to Andhi's stronghold."

 _It definitely wouldn't be as easy as you think. I'm tougher than I look_. "Somehow I doubt that," the hybrid said as she flicked her tail, paused, and then glared. "If you try anything Desolate won't be the only one with a slit throat."

"Duly noted."

With a nod and what Maple assumed was a self-satisfied smirk, Kultarr exited the abandoned tavern, with the hybrid following cautiously at her heels.

Hints of the nearing sunset were beginning to peek through the brilliant blue sky when the two finally stepped outside. Maple's eyes instinctively surveyed the landscape for signs of other SandWing soldiers hidden among the pale yellow grains that made up the entire kingdom, but noticeably relaxed when her search brought up nothing. Silencing suspicious thoughts (for now anyway), she followed Kultarr down an empty, narrowed alleyway.

 _This'll take us out of the city_ , Maple observed. _My original plan. What help will you even be, dearest auntie_?

Nevertheless, she remained silent as Kultarr led her past crowded, constricted streets, the infamous arc that overlooked all of Possibility, and then into open desert, where they took to the skies. Throughout the entire trip Kultarr hadn't uttered a word to her, although with her sharp SandWing hearing Maple knew she wasn't being completely quiet. Every minute or so, the SandWing would mumble something incomprehensible under her breath.

 _Odd_.

Once Possibility was no longer in sight and nothing but sand stretched out before them (although she could spot a small structure of some kind in the far distance), Maple finally voiced the question making laps around her head.

"Where exactly are you taking me?"

Kultarr paused in her wingbeats, head tilted back as if buried in deep thought, before continuing once more. "To the rainforest."

Maple snorted in disapproval. "So I can be killed by justifiably vengeful RainWings and NightWings instead? Smart plan. I'm so _glad_ that I decided to tag along with you."

According to her scrolls, tensions had been high between the SandWings and the Rainforest Tribes - ever since the War of Old Vendettas, which had been eleven years ago. Maple didn't doubt that if a lone hybrid that took more after her SandWing ancestry appearance-wise was found on their territory, the Rainforest Tribes wouldn't hesitate to rip her limb from limb.

"I have a... friend who'll be waiting for you there," Kultarr responded. "Her name is Heliconia and she knows your father." There was a hitch in her voice at her last words and she turned to face Maple fully. "Where- where is Hyrax anyway? He used to send me letters, but they've abruptly stopped. I haven't spoken to him in years. Is he in Possibility as well?"

Maple struggled to conceal the wince that was threatening to spill across her expression. She'd imagined this moment many times over, on the unlikely occasion that she would one day meet her father's side of the family, and each time she hadn't had a clue about how to break it to them. "I- he- Hyrax is dead, Kultarr."

The SandWing stared at her silently, sadness beginning to flicker in her deep black eyes, before she shook out her wings and turned away. "Caracara guessed that that might happen."

 _My uncle. I remember how Father always rambled on about his hate for him. "An annoying prick" he called him._

"Caracara's like the SandWing version of a silly poetic NightWing," Kultarr continued stiffly, sounding choked. "Always calculating the outcomes and possibilities of a certain situation for no other reason than to seem smarter than he actually is. One of his 'most likeliest predictions', as he called it, was that Hyrax would somehow die. How did… how did he perish?"

"Drowned."

"Leave it up to my younger brother to go off and die in such a pathetic way like that." Kultarr produced a silent sigh. "I'm sorry, Maple."

Maple shrugged. "Nothing to apologize for. It's been four years. I've gotten over it."

Besides, Kultarr was probably hurting more than she ever did. Maple and Hyrax hadn't had the chance to properly bond and spend time together before his death. Whereas Kultarr had known him his entire life, up until he left his home for the Mud Kingdom. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain that her aunt was going through. _To learn that your brother has been dead after all these years must be heart wrenching_.

"Anyway," Maple said, "let's get back on topic. I thought you needed to get back to the stronghold soon? How do you expect to escort me to the rainforest?"

"Are you aware of the NightWing tunnels?" Kultarr countered curiously, presumably locking away her sadness for a later date.

"Yes. One leads from the rainforest to the Kingdom of Sand and one takes you to the NightWings' old kingdom," the hybrid responded. "But I thought they were taken down?"

Kultarr shook her diamond-shaped head. "No, not yet at least. Queen Andhi and Queen Visionseeker are planning to block off both entrances permanently in a few weeks. It brings back too many devastating attacks and… horrible memories."

 _Did she participate in the war_? Maple wondered. Various scars marked Kultarr's scales, a terribly nasty one residing a little below her chin and across her throat. _If those aren't a clear enough indicator, perhaps the fact that since Hyrax was involved, she probably was, too._

Their conversation died back down to silence after that last statement. Maple squinted ahead to see that they were aiming for the approaching building up ahead and her muscles tensed at the familiar sight of Queen Andhi's Stronghold.

Her jaws parted to yell at Kultarr for being bird-brained enough to lead her to the home of the dragon who wanted her _dead_ of all places, but immediately snapped shut when she realized that the older dragoness was veering off that path and aiming for something a few miles from the stronghold.

Soon, the two landed back on the dry sands. Before them sat a small semicircle of cacti, their prickly trunks towering over Maple, but not Kultarr. The SandWing peered at the ground thoughtfully, tapping her claws against the ground like she'd done in the tavern, before she stopped, and then began digging through the sand.

 _Three moons, what is she doing_? Maple thought, staring at her aunt in scornful bemusement.

"Here we go," Kultarr said, oblivious, stepping back to reveal the gaping maw of a dark tunnel. Maple blinked in bewilderment and circled the hole, only to stare down into its shadowy bowels. With a shiver, Maple moved away, squashing the feeling of uneasiness wriggling through her scales. "The Rainforest Tribes and the SandWings would use this to ambush each other more successfully - tactical advantage, you know. Don't worry, it's entirely safe."

"Apologies if I don't take your word for it," Maple growled. "This feels so _wrong_."

"Yeah, we all experienced that feeling at first, but it eventually went away," said Kultarr. "It's really okay, Maple."

You _don't have to go down there by_ yourself. With a sigh, Maple offered the most fakely appreciative smile she could muster. "Thank you for the help, Kultarr. You're probably risking your job doing do this." _And probably your life, too_.

Kultarr shrugged and grinned back. "Anything for family. Good luck where you're going, Maple."

"Duly noted," replied Maple. She nodded a grudging thanks to her aunt and shuffled her wings, before succumbing to the inky black abyss.


	7. Chapter 6

Maple stumbled through darkness.

Her wings and talons scraped against smooth, cold stone, as she blindly ventured deeper into the tunnel, the same sense of dread stronger than it had been before. She could hardly see two steps in front of her, and the small plumes of flame she conjured weren't of much help either. It was taking all of her inner strength not to bolt back in the other direction, back to the warm sands and the comforting desert atmosphere of home.

 _You can't go home,_ her mind sniffed accusingly. _Not with Andhi currently wanting your head on a spear because of a stupid decision_ you _made._

 _I can't believe I let Kultarr talk to me into this,_ Maple grumbled, ignoring the gibe entirely. _She could have at least accompanied me to the exit._

Yet, she continued forward, relying only on her extended wings to identify the many twists and turns. She didn't know how long she trod on silently, but eventually she could see bright sunlight blossoming at what could only be assumed as the end of the passage.

Maple quickened her pace, her limbs twitching with excitement and longing to be back in the sun. It wasn't long before she escaped the eerie tunnel and stepped out into a lovely patch of shimmering light.

The hybrid exhaled a sigh of relief and proceeded to scramble a few feet away from the tunnel. She settled on a boulder nearby, squinting suspiciously at the hollow hole carved inside the gray stone of a large boulder, as she shook her wings free of her last remaining jitters. _Stupid animus touched ditches of doom. Kultarr said that the queens are going to block off these tunnels anyway, might as well set it on fire for them-_

Maple stopped short and, with one sweep of her gaze, took in her surroundings.

Like Kultarr had said, the tunnel had taken her directly to the rainforest. The towering trees and their thick, long branches created a leafy green canopy above her head, sunlight peacefully fluttering through the gaps, and beautiful flowers of all colours dotting both the massive greenery and the undergrowth. Nearby, a small stream flowed by quietly and lapped at the rocks lining its shores. She could hear the creatures of the rainforest noisily chatter amongst themselves, oddly undisturbed by her presence.

She glared at a blue frog who sat on a branch to the left of her. Its unnervingly large eyes burned holes into her chest, and it made a bellowing, throaty cry before hopping away into the deeper depths of the forest. Maple watched it go, curious as to what it would taste like if she decided to purse.

She dismissed the thought. She wasn't interested in tasting the cuisine the rainforest had to offer. She was here for a reason; to find Heliconia and a safe place to hide. Shouldn't be too hard, granted that a NightWing or RainWing didn't see her first. _With the luck I'm having, I'll probably stumble into quicksand before I meet one of them._

Squaring her shoulders and fixing her crooked posture, Maple glanced around once more.

 _Where do I even begin? Do I wait here for Heliconia or go searching for her myself?_ Maple thought with a silent huff of frustration. _Three moons. Could Kultarr have been any more cryptic besides "she'll meet you there"?_

Perhaps it would be a smart idea to wait by the tunnel, for a short wait period at least. It was possible that Heliconia was elsewhere, hung up with something that required her full attention and was more important than some hybrid Maple's aunt had forced her to assist.

Maple curled atop the boulder and sucked in a breath. With a moment to finally rest and think, she was suddenly overwhelmed by the events that had transpired that day.

 _I've lost my home, my treasure, and Snowdrop, and now I'm being tracked down by the SandWing queen herself. All because I was trying to survive and at least_ attempt _to lead my life back onto somewhat of a normal path. Why couldn't this atrocious universe allow me that one courtesy?_

 _It's all Hyrax's fault._ She growled wrathfully and glared at empty space, her claws so tightly clenched that she drew blood from her brown palms. _If the little idiot hadn't died, Mist would have never needed a reason to leave our island. We'd never have moved to Possibility and be without proper living arrangements or money. She wouldn't have lost her job and I wouldn't have had a reason to resort to thievery. And Mist… Mist wouldn't have left. Why did he have to leave us? Why did he have to die?_

 _Why did_ their _stupid life decisions have to mess up mine?_

Maple sighed and, with much effort, chased her resentful thoughts, sadness, and anger back to the farthest corners of her mind. It wouldn't help anything if she started breaking down now, not when she was so vulnerable to being attacked by angry and territorial rainforest dragons.

Her ears perked and she raised her head from her talons to scan the surrounding greenery. She didn't spot anything in the foliage, but she was sure she'd heard a... giggle?

A rustle in the trees. She tilted her back to listen, trying her best to block out all the other sounds. How could the Rainforest Tribes hear themselves over the constant fracas?

There it was again.

It was closer this time, almost right behind her. She stifled a growl. _Someone chose the wrong day to pester me. I'll stuff some grass up your snout, you sand-_

Maple swung her head around to fix a glare on a blue dragonet. She hung down from a branch by her tail, a vibrant and cheerful smile plastered on her snout. Her bright orange underscales flecked with red sparkled in the morning sun, as her amber and sapphire blue eyes looked her up and down curiously.

The dusty yellow hybrid drew her lips back into a snarl. From her appearance, Maple could tell that she was also another hybrid, with her obvious SkyWing structure and faint qualities of a RainWing. She was particularly small, nearly the size of a two year old dragonet.

Unaffected by her hostile glare, the blue dragon began swinging back and forth softly, rattling the vibrant green leaves that decorated the branch. She continued to grin madly and after a few moments of complete silence, Maple realized she didn't plan on being the first one to spark the conversation.

"What do you want?" she snarled up at the hybrid, her tone hopefully carrying across her distrust and frustration at being found so quickly.

The hybrid clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth rhythmically. Keeping a firm hold on the branch, she reached down and wrote words out in the grimy dirt using a thin, twisty twig.

" _You look interesting. What's your name?"_ It read. Maple tilted her head with narrowed eyes, confusion lacing her virulent features. Why hadn't the dragonet just spoken? Giving her a quizzical look, she wondered if she should write out what she wanted to say as well. Perhaps it was some RainWing culture thing she hadn't heard about and was only developed a few years ago?

 _Yeah, no_. _I will not participate in something so foolish._

"What's it to you, _hybrid_?" Maple snapped back, wings flared defensively.

The other hybrid clucked and giggled, taking amusement in her belligerent behaviour, as she swiped away what she'd written before and replaced it with new messy scribbles. " _Well, Miss Grumpy, I was swinging by when I saw you sulking down here. I was pretty surprised and intrigued. You're neither RainWing or NightWing, now are you?"_ When she finished off her last sentence, she poked Maple in the chest, her smile growing wider.

Maple snapped at her talon, but the blue dragon pulled away before teeth could snag onto her scales. "Really? What gave that away? Perhaps it was my odd colours, or the ridge, or maybe the very obvious tail barb? Hey, I might even go for a wild card here and say it was my _scales_."

" _Hm. I don't think that's it. Although your scales are far prettier than any RainWing's I've seen. And that's saying something, considering they're supposedly the most beautiful dragons in Pyrrhia, and I've seen quite a lot of them."_

Maple blinked incredulously, flattered by the unwarranted compliment. "Uh… thank you?" She shoved away her brief confusion and returned the frown to her lips. "I don't have time to be making small talk with you, gnat, but since you're here, do you know of a RainWing named Heliconia?"

" _Oh yes! She's one of the RainWings' healers in my village!"_ The dragonet wrote, beaming. " _I can take you there if you'd like?"_

Maple hesitated. While the little hybrid didn't _seem_ to pose much of a threat, what with her perky attitude and small size, there was no telling what her true intent really was. What was stopping her from just handing her over to Queen Visionseeker, the current queen of the Rainforest Tribes, to play with?

 _And once again_ , _I'm being ridiculous,_ Maple scorned, frowning. _This two year old probably doesn't have despicable bone in her body. I'm pretty sure someone "horribly evil" wouldn't be smiling for this long._

 _Besides, it's basically a death wish if I'm caught in one of their villages. Even with a guide..._

"I'll have to decline," she replied aloud. "It's nothing personal, but your village will probably rip me apart if I'm caught there; what with the war that occurred eight years ago and the grudge between the SandWings and Rainforest Tribes. I doubt they would be as nice and opening as you are to my sudden appearance."

Maple winced as the blue dragonet visibly wilted and her optimistic grin dropped down into a sad frown, obviously displeased by her decision. " _Right. That. Almost forgot. I could always bring Heliconia here though? I can make it to the village and back pretty quickly. I'm an awesome flier._ " she scrawled, perking up at the last bit.

"That… would be ideal, thanks. I'll just wait here and try not to be seen, I guess."

The dragonet's previous cheerful attitude and broad grin had returned fully now as she clapped her wings with excitement. " _Great!"_

Swinging by her tail, the dragonet waved a talon of farewell to Maple, before propelling herself to the next tree and the next.


	8. Chapter 7

With the particularly odd dragonet gone, Maple was again left to her own choleric thoughts and paranoia. She was constantly aware of her surroundings, and once had been forced to hide in the thick, prickly underbrush when a patrol of RainWings (carrying excessively sharp-tipped weapons and looking unnervingly hot-headed, Maple had noted) swung past in the trees. They had been chatting relatively softly among one another, but the snippets of conversation Maple had been able to pick up were enough to interest her.

"...He really shouldn't have been caught in the crossfire," one had said, heaving a deep, regretful sigh. "That squirmish shouldn't even have happened! The war was eight years ago, why are we still fighting about it now?"

"Queen Brunneous will probably demand that Andhi and Her Majesty pay for being responsible for the death of one of her MudWings," another voiced worriedly. "Which could lead to another major disagreement, and what with how the SeaWing are acting right now, Pyrrhia really doesn't need that."

"Not to mention Smokebreather is understandably upset about what happened," spoke a third. "Mink was everything to him. He hasn't left his hut since his death. I'm really worried about him."

"Queen Visionseeker and Andhi will surely bring the SandWing accountable for the death of Mink to justice," answered a fourth, her tone commanding and stern. "Queen Brunneous will likely be satisfied with that, and will leave us alone for the time being. As for Smokebreather…"

The remainder of the conversation was lost to the trees and rainforest noise as the patrol swooped farther and farther away from Maple's hidden location. Only when she was sure they were quite the distance away did she slowly, very carefully, creep out from under her hiding place, and finally attempt to make sense of the RainWings' discussion.

 _Mink. Mink. Mink. I swear I've heard that name before,_ the hybrid thought, retreating back to a slowly rotting tree stump. _Someone I've crossed paths with in Possibility maybe? Must have been important if I can recall his name._

She snorted. _Doesn't matter. Tribe conflicts are not exactly my problem, so why should I care? They're all just a bunch of idiots that are too thick-headed and proud to quit picking fights or actually listen to one another. Don't know how anyone can stand living in them._

With that thought, Maple hopped off the stump and made her way over to the small stream, having just realized how thirsty she was. She couldn't recall the last time she had something to drink, but wasn't very worried about it either way. SandWings were built to spend long periods of time without the need of food or water, and she'd been lucky enough to inherit both traits from her father.

Careful not to let any droplets of water splash onto her claws, she reached forward and lapped at the stream, relishing in its cool, refreshing feel. She straightened once she was sure she had enough and turned to head back to the stump where she'd wait for the blue dragonet's arrival.

Only to be barreled into by a ball of black scales instead.

Maple was shoved to the ground and pinned, her skull slamming painfully against the floor. She was dimly aware of her assailant growling angrily above her. They had a deadlock grip on her wings and a talon on her tail, preventing her from even attempting to get up or stab them with her venomous barb. It certainly didn't help that they were much larger than her.

She was, unfortunately, completely at their mercy.

 _I don't like that. I don't like that at all. Did one of the RainWings look back and see that I was here?_

When her vision finally cleared, Maple realized that the dragon wasn't a RainWing at all, but a NightWing, though not like any she'd seen before. Pale white scales danced along her snout and paired up with her spiraling horns and the long spines descending down her back, a colour that was quite the oddity for a NightWing. Aside from that, she had the usual black main scales, and eyes and underbelly of a striking navy blue.

 _IceWing hybrid, maybe?_

"SandWing invader!" the NightWing suddenly barked. "You slimy scum! I knew I smelled such a revolting scent nearby. How dare you come back to our territory? What kind of horrible scheme has your queen sent you off on now? Let me guess, you want to bomb one of the nurseries! Considering it isn't very far off from ripping apart families I don't find it hard to believe!"

 _Great. A_ paranoid _IceWing hybrid. I love having those two qualities in the same dragon. Makes for great interactions,_ she thought, her inner voice dripping with sarcasm.

Maple blinked. "I am _not_ with the SandWings or Andhi. I'm just waiting for someone. I can assure you that I'll be gone soon. _Now let me go_ or I _swear_ I'll claw off your wings!"

"You? You're just a puny dragonet." The NightWing erupted into laughter, genuinely amused by the idea of being bested by a five year old. "You'd never be able to lay a talon on me."

"You don't _want_ to test that theory," Maple snapped back, brisling with fury. "And you won't have to if you stop acting stupid and let me go!"

"I'd be a fool to do such a thing. Allow a SandWing to run free in my rainforest? I can see numerous possibilities of how that could go wrong. Unless..." Her eyes narrowed and she muttered the last bit under her breath, before shaking her head and tightening her grip. " _No_. I am taking you to Queen Visionseeker. From what I can see, you are not a dragon worthy of my trust, SandWing or not."

Her only response was a furious roar and relentless trashing. There was no way Maple would let this _fool_ take her back to the untrusting claws of Queen Visionseeker willingly. Her back talons dug into the NightWing's underbelly (painfully, she hoped), as her front talons made a move to claw at her chest.

The NightWing was hardly shaken by Maple's sudden movement or useless attacks, however, and chuckled softly at her behaviour, before raising her long tail to deliver a striking blow to her skull.

"WHITEFEATHER!"

The NightWing stopped mid swing, and in unison, both she and Maple glanced over to the source of the shout. Standing before them was a RainWing, her scales a calico cat-like coat of vibrant golds and purple, with a concerned familiar little blue hybrid by her side. Multiple small brown pouches hung loosely from her neck, sides, and wings- containing what, Maple couldn't even begin to guess.

The dragonet's mismatched eyes were watching Maple with alarm, her wings quivering at her side. Her jaws were parted slightly to reveal to sharp fangs, as if were preparing to spit venom (or fire?) at the NightWing at any given second.

"Whitefeather," the RainWing said slowly, sounding as if she were speaking to a month old dragonet than some respectable adult. Whitefeather scoffed in turn at her name, resting her tail in the prickly grass once more, but making no move to free her prisoner. "Get off her."

"What are you doing here and not in the RainWing village, Heliconia? You've got patients to heal!" Whitefeather growled instead, before piercing the dragonet with a glare. "Out and about with the mute dragonet no less!"

The hybrid in question squawked in protest and stomped a single talon with an angry huff. It was obvious she had something to say, but assuming what Whitefeather had said about her being mute was true, couldn't voice it in anyway.

Maple could understand the frustration. She couldn't imagine a life where she wasn't able yell at other dragons for their own stupidity every other day. It was one of her hobbies.

 _Oh, and the fact it makes conversing with others much more difficult. That too._

Ignoring her hostility, Heliconia continued to speak calmly. "Whitefeather, dear, this 'SandWing' is completely harmless. And if not, she's coming with me anyway, so I can keep an eye on her. This isn't a matter you need to concern yourself with."

"Why should I listen to you?" Whitefeather snapped. "You're just a disobedient RainWing who doesn't the deserve the job she's been given. And I outrank you, being the queen's personal seer after all. You don't have to the authority to be giving _me_ orders."

"Disobedient? I've never heard anyone refer to me as such," Heliconia countered, looking ruffled at the NightWing's comment. Swirls of a startling orange began creeping along the golden splotches of her scales, which, if Maple could recall correctly from the scrolls she'd read about the Rainforest Tribes, indicated irritation and frustration. "What have I done that is so treacherous in your eyes?"

"While I find this conversation the utmost intriguing, can I go now?" Maple interjected before Whitefeather could retort, her patience wearing thin. "I have places to be and queens to avoid."

"The only place you'll be going is to the palace dungeons," snapped Whitefeather, locking eyes with Heliconia once more. "Anymore objections? Or do I have strip you of your healer status right here and right now? It's not like you'll be missed, and we have more than enough healers to replace you."

Heliconia breathed a sigh and dropped her head. She glanced over at Maple he apologetically, clearly unsure of what to do. It was obvious Whitefeather held much more authority over the RainWing and wouldn't hesitate to rip away her profession. And Maple certainly didn't expect her to give that up for some silly hybrid, much less a murderer. They hadn't even been properly acquainted; Heliconia didn't owe her anything.

Exhaling another sigh moments after the first, Heliconia opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the blue dragonet darting forward and wrapping her small arms around Whitefeather's leg- specifically the one holding down Maple's tail. The hybrid's teeth bit into her scales, causing a roar of alarm and fury to escape the NightWing's throat. Her head swerved around to growl fiercely at the dragonet.

With Whitefeather temporarily distracted, Maple aimed another hard kick at her underbelly and was rewarded with a hiss of pain and a free wing. She knocked her barbed tail hard against the NightWing's hind talons, successfully unbalancing her long enough for Maple to elbow her chin and throw her stunned form off.

Maple scrambled to her feet, tossing her head in Whitefeather's direction to defiantly snort a puff of smoke (she was too busy attempting to pry off the blue dragonet to notice- which was quite unsatisfying, really), before taking off into the rainforest. She paid no attention to Heliconia's petrified form as she ran past, her objection to escape was the only thought embedded in her mind.

The rainforest was a blur of colours as she dashed through. With the amount of times Maple managed to trip over a root or stumble into a bush, and then angrily yell at them through her thoughts, she was surprised Whitefeather hadn't caught been able to catch up with her yet.

Although she wasn't sure that the NightWing was even chasing her. There were no sounds of snapping twigs, rustling leaves, or the shrills shouts behind her like she had expected. Maple assumed she was still either tangling with or scowling at the blue dragonet for her sudden show of disobedience to help her get free.

Speaking of which, why _had_ the other hybrid help her? They'd only just met a few moments ago, and Maple had only displayed hostility towards her. If only she had had a chance to show her gratitude before running off.

 _If only that stupid NightWing hadn't been so stubborn to let me go. Maybe there's a small possibility that I'll see that little hybrid again. She deserves a thank you._

As if the universe had finally answered her calls or the dragonet had obtained the NightWings' ability to read minds, the little blue hybrid manifested in front of her out of seemingly thin air. Her characteristic smile had finally returned to her snout as she waved a talon in greeting. Maple forced herself to a stop before she could accidentally collide into her, throwing open her wings to keep balance.

"You again," Maple said, her brow wrinkling with confusion. She stepped back and looked her over skeptically. "How'd _you_ get away from Whitefeather?"

Her answer to that was the dragonet's wings shimmering out of view and then returning back again to their dark purple hue.

"Oh, camouflage. Makes sense." Maple observed as she nodded in understanding. "Anyway, thank you for the help. I honestly and truly believed that she would have killed me or something. Although, it was still pretty stupid of you. Once you get back to your village, I'm sure she'll be waiting there for you. After informing your family of course."

Bent over to write in the dirt, the dragonet responded with a dismissive shrug. " _Least I could do. Besides, I'm not going back. I've actually decided to come with you!"_

Maple narrowed her eyes at her, her sail flaring with irritation. "Excuse me?"

The hybrid nodded, brimming with happiness. " _Yep! It's obvious you can't stay here and you're certainly not heading back to the Kingdom of Sand so I might as tag along to wherever you're going. I mean, who doesn't love company? So, meet Sapphire, your new traveling buddy!_ "


	9. Chapter 8

Maple was not happy, to put it simply.

Her talons ran over unkempt dirt as she continued through the rainforest, careful to avoid any nearby passersby, and to especially ignore the little perky hybrid that continued to trail her and refused to go away no matter how much she growled and snapped at her.

"You're like two years old!" Maple had pointed out earlier, resisting the urge to throw her arms up in frustration at Sapphire's stubbornness. "You shouldn't even be outside by yourself. Go home, little dragon! I don't want some sidekick!"

The dragonet had looked deeply wounded by that comment as she scribbled furiously away at the ground. " _Seriously? I'm five! I am perfectly capable of protecting myself,"_ she had wrote with a defiant snort and flash of her fangs. " _Why is that so hard for dragons to believe? And I don't care about what you want. How long do you think you're going to last on your own before you get yourself killed?"_

Maple had scoffed at the idea. "Oh, yeah, because a tiny little fluff-ball is very much capable of lending a helpful talon."

" _I'm sorry, but who stopped Whitefeather from dragging you to the talons of Queen Visionseeker again_?"

"I would have been fine."

Sapphire eyed her with the utmost skepticism. " _Your stubbornness isn't going to change my mind. I'm coming whether you like it or not."_

So, naturally, Maple had turned to the next best thing- pretending that she didn't exist at all, which was unsurprisingly easy to do, considering the other had no way to communicate unless they, for whatever invalid and stupid reason, decided to take a break.

Ever since their encounter with Whitefeather, Maple's senses had immediately grown more prudent as her eyes raced back and forth to cautiously server their surroundings. She didn't take any chances when RainWings and NightWings nearly stumbled upon them, finding both her and Sapphire a place to conceal themselves from sight quickly. More often than not, Sapphire's scales were an excellent source of cover, and Maple couldn't help but admit that they were incredibly useful, despite the purple markings that seemed to always remain on her forearms.

" _Yeah, they never change_ ," Sapphire had explained when she'd asked. " _My mom and dad thinks it's because of my hybrid blood. Others say it's just 'cause I'm weird. Can't blame them."_

"You are pretty weird. And annoying. And too _enthusiastic_. Did I mention annoying?" The blue dragonet had wrinkled her snout in response and thrown a random stick in her direction, which, due to her surprise, Maple had barely managed to dodge.

She thought it best that they traveled to the Mud Kingdom's border. Considering it was the rainforest's neighbouring kingdom, and the fact that they would most likely hold no ill will towards either her or Sapphire, it would be a safe enough haven until Maple finally got her bearings together and constructed a plan of action for her permanent residence.

She hadn't the foggiest idea of where would even be a good place to find herself a new home. She definitely couldn't stay in the Mud Kingdom for long- moons _knew_ who she would manage to stumble upon that she didn't particularly like to see. The Kingdom of Sand and Sea were out of the question, which left her with the Sky Kingdom and near-frozen outskirts of the Ice Kingdom where almost nobody inhabited.

At the end of the day, she wasn't left with very many options.

With a sigh, she glanced back at Sapphire, whom was too busy taking an interest in a small bush of blue lilies to notice they had stopped or that she was the current source of her attention.

Maple still couldn't understand what had made the little hybrid want to drop everything and abandon her home to tail a stranger she'd only just met. What would her family think? She highly suspected that she had one- no one could be _that_ bubbly if they didn't, even if they _were_ faking it- and that they would greatly disapprove of her running off. Had she even told them?

Probably not, or else she wouldn't be here.

 _Which leaves me with two objectives. Get my life put together again- or at least somewhat functioning- and return this dragonet home to her family. And maybe even stick around for a bit to watch her get yelled at for her sudden disappearance._

 _Shouldn't be hard at all._

With that sorted out, Maple called upon her mental map of Pyrrhia. She hadn't been the most verbal during her four years at her school. During her free periods when normal dragonets would hang out with their friends, she'd curl up in the furthest corner from the other occupants and select the closest scrolls to read, which just happened to center around Pyrrhia's geography. Sometimes, when Maple wasn't feeling cranky and would actually talk to her, Burro would gleefully join her. For the first few minutes, they'd read silently together before treading into light conversation that was completely off topic from what they had been earlier reading.

The journey from the tunnel to the border shouldn't have been a long one, but due to their constant need to hide it was always being put on hold. Judging from when they had left (moons, it was still only midday?), and the future stops they would likely have to make, they would probably make it there by late afternoon.

Maple didn't exactly have a problem with that. She was used to traveling for long periods of time. Sapphire definitely wouldn't mind either, as the smaller hybrid seemed to maintain a spark that never tired.

She was, in fact, understandably nervous. She doubted Kultarr would be caught by Queen Andhi for her treason (she seemed far too clever for that), but worry and anxiety continued to gnawed at the tiniest idea that if her aunt was apprehended and the SandWing queen came tearing through the rainforest- with or without Queen Visionseeker's permission- with a battalion or _something_ at her back, there wouldn't be anywhere to hide or run. She feared her death would be inevitable.

Maple was snapped out of her thoughts at the nudge from her newfound companion. Blinking in brief confusion, she looked down to see Sapphire staring back with amusement and a talon on her wingtip. With a snort and a flick of her wing, she shook her off and started forward once more.

A moment of hesitation and then there were light footsteps bounding after her. Despite Sapphire's smaller size, she seemed to easily keep up with Maple's quick strides and movements. Quite a few times she moved even faster than her. Perhaps she had gain a SkyWings' fascinating agility? It wouldn't be surprising with how much her physical appearance took after the tribe.

 _At least she doesn't have their somewhat grumpy attitudes as well. Nobody likes a Maple 2.0._

The rest of their travels were spent with no interruptions, much to Maple's relief. They reached the MudWing border earlier than expected, and after a quick inspection of their surroundings, Maple beckoned Sapphire to cross over with her. The blue dragonet's wings flapped in excitement as she swooped past Maple and dove into a nearby murky brown pool, a pleased grin on her face.

Maple managed to fight back her disgusted glare as she followed her, standing as close to the swamp's bank as she preferred. It wasn't just the nasty water she disliked. After her father died, she obtained a fear of large bodies of water. Anything bigger than a small stream or pond terrified her. It was one of the reasons her and her mother were forced to leave their island home.

 _It's a stupid fear and I hate it,_ Maple thought irritatingly, stepping back as she felt liquid splash on her claw. _I can kill and fight without a problem but stupid camel-blasted water makes me freeze up like some petrified hatchling. Humph._

"Moons, this is fun!"

She was once again yanked from her musings. A faint murmur, almost too quiet to be heard, had originated from Sapphire's direction. As Maple glanced back up to investigate, she was taken back by the uncharacteristically panicked expression on the dragonet's face. Her talons were over her snout, with mis-coloured eyes widened in shock.

Maple's own eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Did you just say something, little dragon?" Sapphire lowered her talons, her mouth opening and closing for a few moments before finally snapping shut.

"Scratch that- I'm not an idiot," Maple added when the dragonet frantically shook her head. "You clearly said something. I thought you were _mute_. Are you a liar as well?"

Sapphire gave her an offended look. She climbed out of the pond and shook out her scales, causing Maple to scramble back to avoid the drops of water that flew in her direction. Ignoring her, the dragonet immediately began to write away in the mud.

" _I never told you anything of the sort,"_ the hybrid pointed out, and if there could be snide and spitefulness head in writing, there certainly was in hers. " _I just let you believe what Whitefeather said. Not my fault you decided not to ask me personally."_

"Then why don't you _speak_?"

Sapphire frowned at this. " _It's kind of complicated."_

Maple scoffed dismissively. "I think I'm way past complicated. Hit me."

" _Not many dragons have heard of it, I'm actually one of the rare few that has it."_ Sapphire hesitated, only resuming in writing when Maple nodded for her to continue. " _It's called Verbal Dyspraxia. I might not have spelled it right, but that doesn't matter. The doctors said my brain has difficulty moving the parts of my body having to do with my ability to speak, except they used bigger words. So I can speak, it's just that no one can understand what I say."_

"Huh," was all Maple said, turning over the other hybrid's words in her head, before focusing on the events that transpired moments ago. "But I understood you perfectly fine just now."

Sapphire blinked, a small giddy grin creeping its way to her lips as her eyes lit up with excitement. " _Really? Like honestly really truly? Like, if your life depended on that one sentence and if didn't actually mean it you'd just die?"_

Maple barely managed to nod before the smaller dragon darted over and clung to her scales, her arms tightly wrapped around her bicep. She furrowed her brow and stared, perplexed.

"Oh my gosh!" Sapphire chirped loudly, startling Maple out of her confusion. "I can't believe this! _I can't believe this!_ This is such a relief! I've only known one other dragon who's been able to understand me and he's all the way in the Sky Kingdom so I haven't been able to actually speak to someone since my family moved here and it's just so nice and awesome to know that he's not the only one and that there's been someone else this whole time-"

Maple quit listening halfway through, not that Sapphire noticed. Perhaps she was being paranoid once again, but as her blue-eyed gaze focused onto another pool not too far off from Sapphire's, she could swear the water was rippling, certainly not by natural means. She craned her neck to get a better view and was taken aback to catch the pointed tips of horns poking out from the pool's muddy surface.

 _Someone's here._

"Shut up for a second, little dragon," Maple snapped. She lightly nudged her with her wing and subtly flicked her tail in the direction of the pool. Following the movement with her eyes, Sapphire's words immediately died down to silence and she lessened her grip on Maple's arm.

After a few moments of hesitation, Maple called out, "I don't take kindly to being spied on so unless I have to coax you out with one of your ears clawed off, I suggest you show yourself."

She was met with a still hush. And then, like the vicious dragonbite vipers that plagued her desert home, a MudWing gracefully slithered out of the pool and eyed them with open contempt.

Brown water slid off his dark scales tipped with a warm shade of amber. Sparkling just beneath were reddish-brown underscales, decorated with faint pink scars. Sunlight lit his long beige horns, spines, and claws, along with the membranes paired with his impressively large wings.

His head tilted at the sight of them, a forked pink tongue flicking between his teeth. He was big, bigger than the two of them put together, but didn't look the least bit threatening or intimidating. Despite the hatred that he displayed, Maple couldn't help but notice the aura of calm that he brought.

 _Which only worries me more._

"Who are you?" the MudWing barked, his gaze trained on Maple and her alone. "You don't _look_ like MudWings."

She snorted with an excessive roll of her eyes. "I don't feel obligated to answer questions from strangers, but I can assure you that I am indeed a MudWing." She flared her wings to emphasize and then tucked them back to her sides. "At least, part MudWing anyway. My friend here is just visiting with me. That isn't wrong now, is it?"

He nodded slowly, indifferent. "I suppose not." He paused. "Do I know you? You look… familiar."

"No, you don't," Maple replied bluntly. "Because I _certainly_ don't know you. And if I did, you obviously aren't memorable." She earned a jab to her side with that comment and shot Sapphire a venomous glare that would make the average dragon flinch. Not her though, the smaller dragonet stayed as stationary as ever as she glared back in reply.

The MudWing looked ready to angrily retort, but seemingly changed his mind and instead asked, "Do you know Mist?"

Maple tried not to show her distaste. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid. Absolutely no correlations with her mother. If she could help it, she never wanted to speak to or see her ever again. Grief had twisted her into something ugly, something so different from the mother that used radiate warmth and kindness, something Maple couldn't even recognize.

 _I don't want to endure that neglect again. Four years were bad enough, I'm not looking for an additional two._

"We _really_ need to get going," she replied coolly, tugging Sapphire's wing to force her to move forward. "I really wish we could continue our chat but-"

"She's worried about you."

That gave Maple pause, as she stomped down her rising fury. "I don't know what you're talking about. Sorry."

"She regrets everything, Maple. She really does."

 _Am I supposed to take that as a joke? She had two months to do something about it. Two months to come back. Two months to conjure up some fake apology. She didn't even write, and I'm supposed to just believe that she feels any sort of remorse? You have got to be kidding._ She was too busy fuming at this point to realize that he knew her name or that he knew who she was. Or that Sapphire's tail had coiled itself around her own and her eyes shone with concern.

"Who are _you_?" Maple all but hissed lowly, her claws digging into the dirt to prevent herself from lashing out. "What right do you have to speak for her?"

The MudWing blinked, unsurprised by her tone. "I'm her mate."


	10. Chapter 9

It was if everything had froze.

Maple tried multiple times to speak, to breathe, to scream, and was abundantly disappointed when every attempt brought forth zero beneficial results.

She only succeeded in pushing herself further into shock.

 _He can't- she's not-_ her brain sputtered senselessly. _Mist has only ever genuinely loved one dragon and that's Hyrax and he's dead. In the four years after his death, I couldn't even get her to come out of her shell or quit being in such a foul mood that she'd ignored me for days or actually show some form of love besides what's "necessary". But you, some stranger, managed to do it in two months? Unbelievable._

"Uh, Maple?" Said dragoness glanced down to see Sapphire lightly poking at her arm. "Maybe you should, y'know, breathe before you pass out."

Maple scowled her displeasure. "I will have you know that I am perfectly capable of going without breathing for up to fifteen minutes," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm _fine_."

The smaller hybrid eyed her warily. "You don't _look_ fine."

Maple ignored her remark, even if it probably was true. She certainly felt like the _exact opposite_ of okay and was never one good at hiding away her true emotions. Nevertheless, she exhaled with a snort of smoke from her flared nostrils.

Her glare wandered back to the MudWing, who was gazing at the two of them with quizzical looks. No doubt Sapphire's apparent strange tongue was puzzling him. Feeling her attention on him, he met her eyes with an expressionless stare, prompting a scowl to rise from her throat.

"How do you even know who I am?" Maple finally snapped. "How do you know you've got the right dragon?"

"Besides the entirety of your behaviour," Terracotta began slowly, carefully, "Mist and your father were one of, if not _the,_ most popular and well discussed couples in the Mud Kingdom. A _SandWing_ travelling so far east to reunite with the _MudWing_ he loves? And then choosing to live with her in a place that is right out his comfort zone? It's the perfect spark for gossip and unwanted attention. It didn't matter how much your parents tried to hide you. When you hatched, everyone knew who you were and what you looked like; the hybrid offspring of two star crossed lovers. And there's the fact your mother and I are-"

"Don't even say it," Maple cut in, her voice cold and chipped like ice. "I had the unfortunate pleasure of hearing it from you the _first_ time."

The MudWing tried to hide his bristle. "You were the one who asked."

"If you knew who I was, you'd also know that is probably the worst thing you could ever say," she bit back. "A friend of Mist's could have easily sufficed."

"I'm not here to argue with you," he pointed out, obviously trying to remain calm. But it wasn't effective, Maple noticed, if the angry crease of his brow was of any reliable indication. "I'm here to convince you to see your mother. To _talk_ to her."

 _If she wanted to see me, she could have always returned to Possibility instead of hiding away in the Mud Kingdom like a coward._

Maple threw him a bored frown. "I'd very much rather _not_ , thanks. I just plan on sticking around for a few days, away from dragons like _you_ who have any connection with her."

"She's changed-"

"Of course you'd say that. You're vouching for her. It wouldn't make much sense to drop all the negative qualities she clearly has. Now, are you going to get out of my way or do I have to force you to move?"

She didn't receive a response, the MudWing perfectly still as one of those incredibly realistic statues available for purchase in Possibility's marketplace. His intense chocolate eyes never left her and his snout remained completely screwed shut. And for a moment, a surprisingly terrifying moment, Maple thought that she _would_ have to fight him to get past. Knock him out, probably, and then hide his body away from the alert and suspicious eyes of other MudWings.

"I think you should go," Sapphire said, almost too quiet to hear. As she tipped her head in the smaller hybrid's direction to acknowledge that she had heard her speak, Maple realized she'd nearly forgotten she was there. "To see your mom, I mean. It sounds like you two have quite the relationship that is in a dire need of fixing. Besides, we don't have anywhere to stay, unless you want to sleep out in the mud and the dirt and the cold. Again, _unless_ , that's your kind of thing, then I'm all for it."

Maple did have to admit that Sapphire had her there. Unless they could find a cave of some kind, which the Mud Kingdom was severely lacking in with all its swamps and rivers and muddy patches, or an abandoned mud hut, they weren't left with many comfortable options. Perhaps she could entertain Mist long enough to stay at her home for the few days. Even if it was obvious Maple wasn't looking to mend broken relations, she doubted her mother would turn away her own daughter while she was in need some of assistance.

 _You also doubted that she'd ever abandon you. Yet, here we are._

She expertly ignored that tiny, nagging voice in her head.

"Alright," Maple growled, warping the MudWing's baffled expression towards Sapphire back to its original serious tone. "Alright, sure. Whatever. Take me to her. If this is a trick or a joke or-"

"Do you _always_ threaten everyone you meet?" he cut in before she could finish.

"Do you _always_ act incompetent and foolish around everyone you meet?" Maple mocked him. "Just shut up and start walking."

The MudWing snorted his reply and briskly turned away to lumber off into the dense forest behind. It wasn't long before Sapphire bounded after him, with Maple begrudgingly in tow.

The deeper they traversed through the the kingdom that was once her home, the more she was flooded with memories of her younger self trampling through these very areas, unappealed with the dirt that stuck to her scales for days or the thick, slimy mud that oozed between her talons and sent shivers down her spine. She could recall days where she and another older dragonet would build brown "cakes" and then gleefully toss large chunks of them at each other once they were satisfied with their craftsmanship.

 _Cinnamon_ , her brain helpfully supplied. _My cousin._ He was two years older than her, and the only friend she had ever known at the time. _I wonder how he's doing. Did he finally get over that weird grudge that he was holding?_

After she and her parents moved to their island home in the Sea Kingdom, Cinnamon and Mist's siblings, Uncle Cavern and Aunt Silt, visited once or twice a month. He was cold and cut off every time Maple had tried to speak or play with him, to the point where he just ignored her completely. She couldn't remember herself caring much, as she usually found familiar and warm company in her aunt and uncle.

She wondered where Mist was living now. If she kept her old hut where she and Hyrax spent so much fond time together. A home they had built using their own talons. Probably not. She only kept little things to prevent the dying flame of Hyrax's memory from going out.

Maple found her gaze once again travelling to the MudWing's backside- her _stepfather_ , if he was to be believed- which brought her back to the question of how Mist found someone someone so soon after her departure from the desert. Something had to be up. It just had to.

 _Or maybe there's the slightest possibility that just she loves him more than she ever will you, hm? You're a murderer and a thief - a monster. What could she ever see in you?_

 _You don't ever find a reason to shut up, do you?_ She countered, already knowing the answer.

Just as she finally became used to her talons sinking into the wet, murky soil, the ground began to harden into stone. Maple snapped out of her thought bubble to see that they had arrived in a small village, probably holding no more than twenty average-sized huts and a tall tower in the center. From the decor and architecture, it gave off an olden vibe. Very few MudWings wandered about outside, only a few staggering home with supplies and making chatter with their neighbours.

Maple had never seen anywhere so calm and empty and _clean_. It was a definite contrast from the rowdy streets of her own city.

The perfect place for Mist take up residence in.

A couple of passing MudWings shot both Maple and Sapphire heavy looks, their eyes fueled with caution. She forced herself not to fidget from the attention. It wasn't their faults. It was just… _unnerving_ , she guessed, to see a SandWing and RainWing anywhere near each other. She went back to overlooking the huts, trying to guess which one may belong to Mist's. They all looked the same, so it was very much a waste of an effort.

Besides, her guide was leading them there now.

He stopped near a hut not too far from the entrance of the village and rapped his claws lightly against the wooden doorframe. A series of shuffles immediately sounded from inside as the occupant rushed to answer the door. When it finally opened, a multi-brown coloured MudWing with a shimmering golden underbelly stumbled out, a fake, large smile plastered on flat-snouted face.

"Terracotta!" she chirped in greeting. "I didn't expect you to be back so-" Maple could feel the claws that wrapped around the MudWing's throat as gray eyes and gray-blue eyes locked.

A stiff silence settled between them before the MudWing threw herself at Maple and engulfed her in a hug of tight grip. Her surprised was overtaken with the wave of pleasurable warmth that passed over her as she frantically tried to find somewhere to put her awkward and wriggling limbs.

"Hi, Mi- Mom," Maple said, observing Mist's appearance as the seemingly everlasting hug continued. Her scales had grown dimmer than when she last saw her, and her horns were shorter, too. She was still taller than her, but Maple was now about as high as her shoulders. _And still growing_ , she thought, pleased.

"I can't believe," Mist said, finally pulling away to make the same examination of her, "That you actually came to see me. How are you? I thought you were…"

 _Dead? Imprisoned in some cold palace cell? No, sorry to disappoint. I was smart and I stayed alive and free. Without you._ She didn't sound surprised, but Maple could understand the implication behind those words all too well.

Maple shook out her wings, ignoring the little gusts of wind. "I'm well," she replied and sincerely hoped she didn't come off sounding bitter. She flicked her tail at Sapphire, who was sitting very quietly and respectfully behind her. "This is my…" _Friend doesn't seem like the right word._ "Acquaintance, Sapphire. We were hoping to stay a few days."

Mist beamed and Maple couldn't help but frown. This was not the Mist she knew back in Possibility. She never even _tried_ to be nice.

 _Maybe I was the one who was making her so angry all the time._

"Of course!" she all but cheered, swooping around Maple to eagerly shake Sapphire's talon. "I'm glad that Maple was able to meet and reconnect with someone after all that has happened."

While she looked undoubtedly confused, Maple was very grateful that Sapphire had barely asked any questions on their way to the village. She was expecting a storm of _what went wrong with your mother?_ _Why are you so reluctant to speak with her?_ Or the most important one, _why are you running? What do you need to hide?_

 _She's like a sheep,_ Maple mused. _Always willing to follow no matter what danger she may be led into._

 _I should clue her in._

 _Maybe later._

"Come inside, come inside," Mist urged as she made her way back into the hut with Terracotta close behind. Sapphire raised an eyebrow at Maple and then followed them. She waited until the curled end of her blue tail disappeared behind the door before following her, a sliver of dread trickling along her spine.

 _Something is going to go very, very wrong._ ️ ️ ️

* * *

The main room of the hut was decorated with paintings, rugs and carpets, and packed to the brim with shelves upon shelves of scrolls. Maple recognized a few from when they had been tucked away in gold and brown cases at her house in Possibility, before they were snatched up by Mist's hurried talons.

She carefully picked up one of her old _Isle of Tomorrow_ scrolls, the paper thin and the edges torn, and unraveled it enough to reveal the first paragraph. Mouthing the words as she zoned out and read along, she didn't notice the small blue shape slinking up to her side.

"Whatcha reading?" Sapphire's patronizingly gleeful tone asked curiously.

Maple rolled up the scroll and shoved it back into its original place. "Nothing important," she grumbled. "I thought you were helping Mist with dinner?"

The dragonet's brow furrowed. "She said she didn't need any assistance and that she wanted to talk to Terracotta alone."

" _That_ certainly doesn't sound good."

When Sapphire didn't respond, Maple went back to regarding the thousands of pieces of literature. And when that got boring, her attention when to the paintings along the walls. They were a rainbow of colour inside images of moneys, fruits (mainly peaches, Mist's favourite), forests, flowers, and more. Was Terracotta a painter? He seemed like the type. The type of dragon that could get down and sit still and paint out a masterpiece in a manner of moments.

Maple could never imagine herself doing that.

Really, she could never really imagine herself with a _stepfather_.

 _I'm not going to be here for long so it doesn't matter anyway. By the day after tomorrow, Mist and I will never have to see each other again._

"So…" Maple hid her sigh at the word as Sapphire seeped back into vision. "When are you going to talk to your mom?"

The brown-yellow hybrid blinked at her.

"Come on, Maple!" she hissed, piercing her with an irritated glare. "You said you would."

"To be fair, I said a lot of things," Maple pointed out stubbornly. "How can we be sure talking to Mist was one of them?"

Sapphire wasn't amused in the slightest. A little pout was even present on her chubby face now. "I'm going to pretend," she said slowly, "That you didn't just say that, and repeat myself again. Go talk to your mom."

"Would you _relax_? I have time. We'll engage in a conversation tomorrow, I promise." She tried to put on the best, most convincing smile she could muster.

Sapphire's glare wavered and then dropped back to reintroduce her usual bubbly glow. "Okay. Good. You better."

As if he had sensed the end of the conversation, Terracotta came sweeping into the living space. He looked borderline flustered and confused as he exited the dining area, but the emotion immediately disappeared once he caught sight of them.

With a wild gesture of his wings he said, "Dinner's ready." He squinted at Sapphire and then Maple. "Does she eat meat or?"

"I do," answered Sapphire. Maple nodded her confirmation, which only really sent Terracotta further into his earlier confusion and bewilderment.

He led them into one of the back rooms, where a wooden table and chairs sat neatly to the side. Mist stood across from the matching set, her back turned to them and her full attention focused on whatever sat on the counter before her. She was sprinkling green and black and orange specks onto four separate fish-like creatures, shaped almost like lobsters but not quite so. They appeared much smaller, for one, and occupied a duller shade of orange-red than those of their saltwater cousins.

 _Crayfish, maybe? Isn't that the name of Queen Brunneous' adopted daughter? I wonder how weird is must feel to be named after the likes of measly prey._

Maple took the seat nearest to the door, curling her tail over her talons, as Sapphire sat left to her against the wall and Terracotta placed himself across from her. More paintings lined the walls, although admittedly less so than the living area. These focused more on food, fancy cutlery that usually only upper class dragons used, and families of MudWings enjoying an extravagant meal with one another.

Not too long after, Mist set down crayfish-filled wood plates at each place on the table, somehow managing to balance all four of them perfectly in her arms with ease. When she gracefully accommodated the last available spot- the chair to Maple's right- they all took the action as an invitation to eat.

For the first few moments, they ate in awkward silence, save for the crunching of teeth on meat and shell, until Mist decided to fill the void.

"How did you you and Sapphire meet, Maple?" she asked, wiping her dark talons on a napkin that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Maple shrugged. "It's not a very interesting story." She wasn't willing to admit Queen Andhi was after her. That Sapphire was a temporary companion as she fled for her life and away from the consequences of her mistakes. It would only lead to an _I-told-you-so_ lecture that she didn't want to hear. At all. "We just met in Possibility and she decided to company me in my travels."

Sapphire made a weird, surprised burping noise, but otherwise didn't comment. Not that she could, anyway, if she wanted to.

"I was wondering about that," her mother replied. "When did you become so interested in _travelling_?"

 _Why do you care?_ "The city is a very busy and noisy and annoying place," Maple said. "I wanted to get out for a while. Explore a little."

"Understandable. I've always wanted to get out of there, too."

Quiet flushed back into the room. Maple pretended not to notice Sapphire not very subtly mouthing the words " _do it now_ " and " _talk"_ and " _I know you said tomorrow but this is literally the perfect opportunity, you thick-headed bird brain"_. This dragoness was not capable of taking a hint, was she?

Maybe Mist had caught them too, because there was nothing else that could have possibly led to what she said next.

"I want to apologize, Maple."

Those words didn't leave their desired effect. Instead, they stung. Deep. She didn't want to hear this. Not now. Not ever.

"For how I treated you all these years. For leaving you alone in Possibility after what happened." She paused and swallowed, talons fidgeting restlessly with the dirty napkin. "I shouldn't have. That's not-"

 _I need to put a stop to this. Now._ "If you're so regretful for what you did, how come it's been two long months since I've seen you again?" Maple sniffed. "Please, explain. I'm very curious as to _why_."

The MudWing flinched. "I wanted to come back. I wanted to see you, but…"

"You were too busy dawdling around with your new boyfriend." Maple flicked her tail at Terracotta, who looked like he very much did not want to be apart of this conversation, and scowled at her so-called excuse for a mother. "I suppose I get it now."

"I'm sorry, you know I am. It's just… I couldn't handle it all. I-"

"You think your life is tough?" Maple snapped, her ridge bristling. Her talons were uncontrollably shaking, and she couldn't help the rage and harsh words that bubbled in her throat like bile. "You left me to fend for myself and remained as cold and distant as you did on the island. I needed you, my _mother_ , and you weren't there. Do you know how alone and abandoned I felt? I don't want your apologies, Mist, much less your pathetic excuses."

Mist was infuriated now and rose from her seat to tower over the shorter dragoness. "What was I _supposed_ to do? Help you cover up two murders and an act of theft? I shouldn't have to suffer for your mistakes, Maple! You should be old enough to understand that what you were plotting was a terrible path to take! But of course you didn't; you've always been impulsive and uncontrollable!"

This, Maple knew, was the dragon she'd grown to love and then quickly learned to hate. As she prepared herself for another angry retort, something she knew would hurt her ( _Hyrax, the ocean, death, loneliness, the spillarling of Mist's own tragic life_ were a list of topics that ran through her head), a large crash against cold dirt floors was the one to silence the two of them and any resentment and bitterful thoughts.

All heads turned to Terracotta. His tail was raised a few inches from the floor to sound off another ear-rattling strike. "I think," he growled, voice filled with the utmost calm at the same time, as his eyes flickered between both mother and daughter, "it's time we all head to our rooms to _cool off_."

"Couldn't agree more." And with that, Maple leapt up from her chair and stormed out of the dining area, leaving her half eaten crayfish behind and Sapphire to flash the pair of MudWings an apologetic smile.


	11. Chapter 10

The village was quiet and barren when Maple stormed outside. The evening breeze that soared above nipped truculently at her scales like a cold pair of fangs and bombarded her face without much hesitation. Ultimately, she ignored it, the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions occupying her mind being more of a primary concern.

She screwed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, trying to tame the onslaught of shimmering tears. Her claws curled to dig into the ground, but stopped short upon the remembrance that the only material beneath her was stone. With a cross between a sigh and a scowl, she took to the air, ignoring the frantic and concerned cries from Sapphire below.

 _I knew this was a bad idea. I knew it I knew I knew it. I knew nothing could fix what happened. No words can erase what was done. I could have found someplace else to stay. What could have possibly compelled me to take up that offer? To be so stupid?_

The answer to that question was in Maple's sights now, as the blue dragonet flew in front to block off her path. As she flared her wings to hover in the air, Maple studied the other hybrid, hoping her displeasure and anger were obviously present. Sapphire's face was twisted with sorrow and regret, and a thousand different things that she wanted to say. If Maple had had any sympathy left, she would have winced.

But she didn't. Instead, she glared with a cold, dead gaze. Sapphire shrunk back, although she continued to block her path.

"Go home," Maple hissed emotionlessly, tossing her head towards the Mud Kingdom outskirts. "You've had your little adventure. Go back to a family that actually loves and cares about you."

Sapphire regarded her pensively. "I'm definitely not doing that," she said, her voice soft but laced with defiance. "I'm not leaving you sad and alone. What kind of dragon would do that?"

"I am not sad," Maple spat, the corners of her lips curling up into a sneer. "I'm angry. What makes you think I don't want to remain that way? I've been perfectly fine on my own. I don't need your help."

The blue dragonet stared at her as if she had been slapped. "No dragon in their right mind would _want_ to remain unhappy." She flapped a few wingbeats forward and, when she didn't rile a reaction out of her angered acquaintance, she continued, "I'm sorry about what happened. I truly am. If I had known… I'd never would have suggested going there."

Maple resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Thank you. That _definitely_ makes everything better."

Sapphire's gaze shone with hurt at her words, her ears drooping, and Maple had to forcefully squash down the pang of pity she felt for her. _Enough feeling sorry for others. She doesn't deserve it. No one does._

"Go home," Maple growled again, harsher than before.

The blue hybrid only swept closer. "No," she replied firmly. "I'm not going anywhere and I really don't think you'll actually do anything to change that." She tipped her head to the side. "Will you?"

Maple didn't respond, not that she could find the words to just that, if she wanted to. She had to admit that despite the fact Sapphire was far too optimistic and _annoying_ for her tastes, it would be pleasurable to have _some_ company on the so called "quest" she would likely be enduring.

Besides, the little hybrid seemed stubborn and dead set on helping her no matter how much Maple insisted on snapping at her. Which was odd, considering most of the dragons that she had attended school with were easily scared off by her sneers.

 _I wish I had brought Daybreak and Raccoon along with me. Maybe even Ranina, Magpie, and little Pingu._ They're _pleasant acquaintances that won't bring the possibility of nagging my ears off or irritating me to the brink of death._ They're _not overly happy fools who deserve a good nick across their ears._

"Fine," Maple finally growled. "But I'm not going back _there_." She flicked her tail dismissively at the mud huts below, not bothering to spare them a glare of irritation and bitterness. "We'll find somewhere else to stay. I'm _sure_ there's got to be some dry patches of land around. Maybe we could even head to the Sky Kingdom border and reside in the caves of a mountain. Though, we might not reach there before nightfall." She casted a worried look at the setting sun, with the sky around it turning a golden hue with tinges of light purple.

Sapphire seemed to disagree at the sound of that suggestion, but didn't comment. _She doesn't expect me to go crawling to Mist's talons again, does she? As far as I'm concerned, I was completely justified in never wanting to speak to her again. She should see that._

Maple swooped around in a circle, eyes raking the earth below and the area that stretched out around them, before shooting forward in a direction that traversed deeper into the Mud Kingdom. "This way!" she called over her shoulder to a bewildered Sapphire, her voice nearly getting lost in the wind.

She didn't check back to see if she following, the sound a separate pair of wingbeats being enough. They flew in silence for a majority of the flight, their own thoughts and words kept to themselves, out of mostly the need for some peace and quiet (perhaps even a bit of resentment, with the words Mist had spoken tumbling through her head) in Maple's case.

"Maple?" Sapphire finally spoke, flapping up a few feet to fly side-by-side with the other hybrid. Even with the largeness of her wings and the huge advantage with speed that they brought, she seemed to be perfectly content with Maple taking the lead and keeping a slow, steady pace behind her during the entirety of the flight. "Maybe we should rest? I'm not exactly tired, but I didn't finish my crayfish and neither did you. Plus, it's getting late."

Maple tried not to grumble. _She did bring up several good points._ "I'm not hungry, but sure. I see some dry marshlands up ahead. We can stay there under the cover of those trees and then hunt for a bird or cow or something. That sound okay?" _Not that your opinion matters to me, but I should at least pretend it does._

Taking her nod as agreement, the two hybrids aimed for that desired patch of land. Narrowing into a dive, they landed on solid ground in very little time.

Despite how parched the grass appeared from the air, it was wet and unbearly soft and moist, making Maple suspect the swamps either had a terrible flood recently or it rained the previous day. Thankful for the large tree that shrouded the area in a nearly concealed shadow, she flew up and inspected each of its long, dangling limbs, before deciding on one that was deemed large and sturdy enough to hold her weight. Satisfied, Maple wrapped her tail around the bark and laid down to rest her head on her front talons.

"I didn't realize you were part _RainWing_ and bird as well," Sapphire snickered below, a talon flying up to her mouth cover her giggles.

Maple scowled at her, her eyes drooping close. _Not to sleep,_ she told herself sternly, _I just need to rest them for a moment. It's been such a day._ "I thought you were going hunting?" she murmured to the little hybrid. "Get on with it."

"Aye aye, Captain!" she replied, her cheerfulness seemingly having returned, before wheeling away in search for some food.

Maple popped open one eyelid to watch her go with what could barely be classified as amusement. A peculiar one, she was. From the little information she was able to gather on her from the entire day, Sapphire was a constant bubbling star that never went regardless of how many might attempt to burst it.

She stifled a yawn. _And she seems so desperate to help me… I still wonder what's up with that. Is she hoping to gain something? No dragon aids another without the certainty that they'll be getting something in return._

 _Except Burro, I guess._ The thought of her only friend during her younger years of dragonethood was successful in luring her mind towards the prospect of sleep, and willingly, she took the bait.

* * *

️ ️"Maple!"

"MMMMMaple!"

"Maple syrup! Ooo, maple syrup. It's been so- no! Focus, Sapphire!"

Begrudgingly, Maple blinked open her eyes. Her gaze was met with floating blue scales and quickly she leapt to her claws with a hiss and raised barbed tail. But instead of having the desired effect of intimidation, she stumbled, her hind talons slipping off her branch and almost sending her tumbling to the grassy floor. Quite luckily, her front claws shot out to grasp her sleeping perch.

With a huff of annoyance, she pulled herself up and made a point to glare at Sapphire- who was trying _very_ hard to hold back her fit of laughter- with as much ferocity as she could muster.

"What is it?" Maple snapped, face burning with shame and humiliation.

Finally succeeding in taming her chuckles (although she still wore a too bright and teasing smile), Sapphire answered, "While you were sleeping and I was out hunting- I caught a juicy sparrow, by the way, and attempted to hunt down a snake out of pure curiosity of what it may taste like, but it got away from me. Except none of that is important. I have a friend in the Sky Kingdom that could be of great assistance with… whatever it is you're trying to do."

Maple flicked her wings back and tilted her head. "I need to find a new home," she informed her. "The Sky Kingdom's my best bet. Or the tundras of the Ice Kingdom, although that's cutting it a little too close to home."

Sapphire's eyes grew as wide as two of Pyrrhia's full sized moons. "Then he'll definitely be able to help you! He knows the Sky Kingdom pretty well. Every village, town, city, and mountains." She performed an excited air loop. "And I haven't seen him in quite a while so we'll both be benefitting!"

"Okay," Maple consented with a stretch. She rested along her branch once more. "We'll go first thing tomorrow morning." Night had befallen upon them during her nap, their surroundings buzzing with crickets and the grass rustling as wind continually swept through it, imitating young wrestling dragonets. "Any idea of where you'll little friend will be then?"

"School, I suspect," the other hybrid replied, beaming. "We'll have to wait until his break, but other than that, we're good!"

"Great. Can I go back to sleep now?"

Sapphire landed on the branch beside her with an overly enthusiastic nod, and with ease, curled up neatly with her tail draped over her snout. Within moments her peaceful snores came drifting through a slightly agape maw, with Maple's soon joining hers.

* * *

️ ️ _Now this… this is Possibility._

As promised, Maple and Sapphire had woken up at the first crack of dawn, with the sun only just beginning to spill its light over the horizon and shower the lands below. While still somewhat groggy, the latter was able to lead the way once they'd flown over the border into the Sky Kingdom's lands. Unlike the rainforest or the Mud Kingdom, they weren't greeted with any unwelcome company, which, Maple assumed, had something to do with how early they had unnecessarily begun their flight.

It took them nearly half a day to reach their destination; a large, populated area with a similar setup as Possibility and complete with cramped crowds, selling merchants, and stone buildings. However, unlike her home city, several marketplaces (all of which were indoor, it seemed) could be spotted from the sky, each being stationed at one of the four corners of the booming metropolis. It was impressively larger, too.

Not to mention there were only SkyWings that dotted streets with a few moving brown blobs that could be classified as MudWings. Which made sense, considering the long held alliance between Queen Brunneous and Queen Quail- a union that had dated back to time of the Great SandWing Succession.

And last but not least, occupying one side of a towering mountain, was Queen Quail's Royal Palace. Beautiful and imposing and casting a long shadow across the city that stood only a few taillengths away. The outside walls that shielded the mysteries of the royal family from prying eyes were crafted from gray siltstone and studded with jewels.

Maple fidgeted at the sight of it, her ridge bristling without control. She didn't know much about the SkyWing Queen, besides the well known rumour that she was a bit… ditzy. How much truth that held was unknown to her, since none of the SkyWings she'd met had any complaints about her rule. Then again, taking back territory once stolen by the SandWings may have had great influence in swaying her subjects' opinions towards her, especially since their previous queen had been reluctant in doing so.

 _And even if she's isn't some featherbrain who may have had too much responsibility mistakenly handed to her, all queens are unpredictable and untrustworthy. Would be best to stay far away from her._

"Welcome to the capital city of Jadeite!" her companion suddenly cheered, distracting Maple from her train of thought. "I sure miss this place. My siblings, parents, and I only visit for family celebrations with our SkyWing relatives."

Sapphire was swooping low towards the city now, aiming for a pocket of space where most of the MudWings had been sighted. Maple dipped after her, claws scraping gravel layered flooring, before landing outside what could be assumed was a cafe. A tangerine orange SkyWing was exiting the building as she touched down, forcing her to stumble back into Sapphire to avoid their bulking wings and lashing tail. They sent a snort of distaste in Maple's general direction, and then continued to stalk away.

Sapphire twitched her nose at the retreating SkyWing, as she helped to balance Maple with her shoulder. "Wonder what has _his_ tail in a twist," she remarked sourly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Maple barked, shaking the smaller dragonet off. "I've dealt with worse."

"Oh, okay," she replied, unbothered by the harsh tone. Which Maple really shouldn't have found surprising. At least, not anymore. "The school should be this way," continued Sapphire. Before Maple got a chance to respond, the blue hybrid was already bounding down the street with a sickeningly cheerful bounce in each step.

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time in two days, Maple prowled after her, ears flicked back to listen in on the city's residents out of habit. In Possibility she had taught herself to know every important happening that occured in the city- as a thief, it was an essential for her survival and others'.

 _Maybe I should learn to do the same here. I'll need to do it better though, obviously the tactic didn't work so well in the Kingdom of Sand._

As she proceeded her trek, a few quick, perplexed glances were thrown in her direction, but strangely enough, not Sapphire's. Maple suspected they must already know her, if what the little dragonet had said about the city being her home true. This section of Jadeite could possibly be her old neighbourhood as well, before she had moved to the rainforest with her family. It seemed she was an effective traveler of it, with how smoothly and easily she weaved through the gravel streets.

While Maple didn't mind the stares, one particular pair of eyes burning holes into her scales managed to catch her attention. She focused her gaze on a SkyWing, his scales a blanket of a thousand rubies with odd long black spines racing down the length of his back. They gave off a the _foreign_ expression.

She felt a prickle in her chest, sharp and longing. _He seems familiar somehow. Have I seen a dragon like that before?_

He ducked his head when she directed her glare at him and averted his eyes, a narrow snout hiding in the crook of his wing. Maple cocked an eyebrow in response. _That's… highly suspicious. Should I be concerned?_

She shook herself free of the thought and quickened her pace with Sapphire. If he would be a problem, she'd deal with him later. What was the point in worrying herself over a potentially meaningless situation when she had more vital matters to attend to? She couldn't afford to be distracted by some creep with big staring eyes.

Shoving the odd SkyWing to the farthest, darkest corners of her mind, Maple focused on her mission and destination ahead. Her and Sapphire were crossing into a more rural area of the city, the throng of dragons beginning to grow denser while the buildings shrunk less and less in numbers. Vegetation sprouted to replace them, until soon there were no other SkyWings or MudWings in sight. Or gravel for that matter, the ground below them now being made of grass.

Not too far ahead, Maple could spot a large clearing surrounded by trees and other greenery. Perhaps it would have been cleverly hidden, if there wasn't a pathway sliced in the middle, revealing a grand building formed by the same material of the palace with twisting vines crawling up its sides. Another pathway sat opposite to it, most likely leading back into the rest of Jadeite.

Just outside the clearing, Sapphire stopped to flare open violet wings and flap them contently, as she twirled around to flash Maple a grin.

"They should be out for recess soon," she chirped, performing a little dance on her claws. "Are you excited? I'm for sure excited. I haven't seen him in years! Or maybe it was months? I don't have very good memory, but I know it's been a while. Oh, he'll be so happy to help you!"

"I don't think I can share in your enthusiasm," Maple commented dryly.

Sapphire flicked her tail at her. "Well you should. He _loves_ helping others! He…" She trailed off and cocked her head, moving to stand on her hind talons to look over Maple's shoulder.

Maple tensed and narrowed her eyes, turning to follow her gaze. Locating nothing out of the ordinary, she asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Mmm," the blue hybrid hummed and fell back onto all fours. "I thought I saw someone, but it's probably just a confused parent who realized far too late that school isn't over yet and sped back into the city. Happens all the time." With a shrug, Sapphire looked back to the school, just as a long, melodic chime originated from within the building. Regaining her previous cheer once more and much to Maple's surprise, she enclosed her acquaintance's talon in hers and sped down the path into the clearing.

"Come on! They're being let out!"


	12. Chapter 11

A storm of SkyWing dragonets streamed from the building's front entrance and scattered across the clearing, their chatter loud and noisy and ignorant of the two strangers within their midsts. Maple was sure to stick close to Sapphire's tail- it wouldn't be hard to lose her in the wild stampede, even if they stuck out more than most. Hisses and growls rose from the bottom of her throat as the dragonets mindlessly trampled over her tail and talons, but she successfully swallowed the desire to snap at them. They probably wouldn't hear her, anyway.

The two managed to wriggle their way to the opposite end of the field, where it was devoid of most students. Sapphire immediately bounded up to a dragonet sitting beneath the shade of a tree, their eyes flitting rapidly across a piece of old parchment. They glanced up from their page a few moments before Sapphire's arrival, and flicked their tail in friendly greeting. Maple did not fail to notice how their orange spines rose cautiously when she slid over to stand by her acquaintance's side, and fixed them with a suspicion woven stare.

 _I guess we're on the same page when it comes to trustworthiness._

"Maple, meet Precipice," Sapphire spoke, flashing the dragonet a soft, warm smile. "You can ask them where Accentor, my friend- I don't think I've mentioned his name until now- is. They'll know. They're close buddies."

Maple eyed Precipice with uncertainty. They were tall and lean, complete with awkward, trembling limbs and a crooked tail. She assumed they must be the same age as Brisk; a year older than her. Their scales were a back and forth pattern of contrasting colours- a blazing, nearly eye-watering orange and an incredibly dull shade of red.

And, they seemed to be absolutely terrified of her.

She cocked her head at the realization. Did she really come off _that_ intimidating? _Of course I do. I've been perfecting this harsh, terrible persona for almost all of my life. I should be glad to get a new perspective to clarify that it's still working, since Sapphire here doesn't seem the least put off by it. I should be happy. Why aren't I happy?_

"Precipice," Maple started, the name sounding almost odd on her tongue. Or maybe it was from the fact she was trying to lace her voice with a much more gentle tone, which was far harder than it should have been. The other dragonet was shaking so violently now that she couldn't but feel a few ounces of pity. An attempt at friendliness was probably in her best interests, for herself _and_ them. "I'm Maple, a… temporary associate of Sapphire's. We're looking for Accentor. Do you know where he is?"

Slowly, Precipice nodded, and held out one pointy, flinching claw towards the school. "In there. In the library," they said, their voice surprisingly steady.

Maple dipped her head in gratitude, as Sapphire wrapped her wings around them in a comforting hug. She tried not to roll her eyes, _again_ , her previous compassion extinguished. She'd hardly said or done anything that warranted such a reaction.

An icy pain stuck her heart at the display of affection, but she brushed it aside. She wouldn't- _couldn't -_ allow herself to wallow over her obvious lack of companionship. Not today. Maybe not ever.

 _And if I cared so much about friendship, Burro wouldn't be dead._

With an angry snort, Maple turned and marched towards the school. She heard the scramble of talons behind her, right after Sapphire had muttered a hurried goodbye to Precipice (which would only sound completely jumbled to them so why even bother?). The smaller hybrid was then intercepting her path, and planted herself firmly in place on her hind talons.

"Maybe it wouldn't be best if you just stormed in there without me?" Sapphire suggested, tipping her head. "I don't think any of the staff would take kindly to a stranger without a student guide."

"You're not a student," pointed out Maple stiffly.

"But they'll recognize me," she replied, black ruff flaring just a bit. "I tend to make a bit of a reputation wherever I go." She stuck out her tongue and gestured vaguely at her throat with her claw.

Maple's lips curled up in annoyance, but she bit down on her tongue. She was not in the mood for a dispute. Not that Sapphire would fall for the bait anyway.

"Lead the way then," she hissed, flicking her tail forward. She didn't make an attempt to hide the bitterness entwined with her words.

For a moment, Sapphire flickered her mismatched coloured gaze of bronze and blue gems over her accomplice warily, before pivoting and dodging through the swarm of students once more. By now the SkyWings had sorted themselves in several small groups across the field. A few of them had even noticed their presences, although their reactions seemed far more controlled and uncaring than the ones casted upon them by the MudWings in Mist's village. Some even acknowledged Sapphire with grins and nods, to which she happily responded to.

 _She must have been really beloved during her time here,_ Maple noted. _I can not relate._

The SkyWings were unsurprisingly obscured from view when they finally stepped into the tall building posed in the center of the clearing, red-gold walls and a long orange carpeted hallway greeting them. Quite oddly the atmosphere took on that of a far more chillier air than what they had been exposed from outside, but with no windows in sight, she couldn't determine why.

Maple swallowed a grimace at the uncomfortable scratchy feel of the rug beneath her claws. Half debating whether or not to hover, she suddenly realized that her blue-scaled accomplice had chosen to speed ahead and then dip into a room to their right.

Blinking, Maple slipped into the cave as well, somewhat impressed and taken aback by the rows upon rows of scroll shelves scattered across the room. _Must be the library,_ she assumed. Fond memories from her time in her own school's library nearly flooded her mind. Laughing and reading with Burro. Confiding in her when bottling up her pain and anger just couldn't cut it anymore. Arguing over the silliest of topics-

 _You need to stop,_ she scowled silently. _The past is the past. Focus on the now, not the then._

With a deep sigh, Maple battered her gaze around the library and did not miss the fact hardly anyone was present. Save for a tall pinkish-red SkyWing that was eyeing her quite suspiciously and Sapphire, who was tightly hugging a chubby-looking SkyWing and had a large, pleasant smile plastered on her face.

 _Is she going to do that to_ everyone _we meet?_

"Was it not you who just said we should 'stick together'?" were Maple's words once she'd made it across the room to growl crossly into Sapphire's ear. She gave the other SkyWing a searching glare, struck by a sense of familiarity as her gaze swept over his orange-flecked crimson scales and golden-orange underbelly that bore resemblance to a goldfish. Dark red curved horns framed either sides of his head and silver falcon charms hung from hoops in his ears.

"Maple!" Sapphire cried happily, pulling away from the SkyWing. "Maple, this is Accentor. He's the friend that will totally be willing to help you!"

 _Wait… Accentor. As in, Prince Accentor?_ That _Accentor? I knew that name sounded familiar._

"You brought me to a SkyWing prince?" Maple snarled, piercing Sapphire with a sharp-eyed glare complete with bared teeth. "The SkyWings and SandWings are allies! I-"

"-will be perfectly fine," Accentor cut in, his voice dismissive. Maple bristled at his haughty tone. She suspected it was supposed to be calming, but all it really did was put her further on edge. "Our tribes might be allies, but my Aunt Quail can hardly tolerate Her Majesty Andhi. We really only share our alliance for the sake of Possibility. No one wants to pick a fight over who rules that city."

" _That doesn't matter_. I'm sure they wouldn't mind uniting if it puts me behind bars," she snapped back. The pinkish-red SkyWing was peeking over at them, obviously curious about the sudden commotion, but she ignored him. "And you're a viper venomed prince. I heard it's customary to put _your_ needs above anyone else's. Who's to say you won't sell me out? I'm sure Andhi's put out an award for my head. You'd just love to have it, wouldn't you?"

"Accentor isn't like that-" Sapphire started.

"This was a bad idea," Maple interrupted her. " _Again_. I should have never listened to you. First Mist and now this. All you're doing is wasting my _time_." She was hit with regret as soon as the words left her mouth, despite completely meaning everything she had said, as Sapphire stared at her with helpless fury and hurt. Orange and red spots were beginning to twist their way through her spines, vibrant and radiating fury.

 _I've been acting so odd recently and I'm getting quite sick of it. I shouldn't- don't care about what she thinks of me or how she feels. Why is that so hard to remember?_

Tossing a snarl in their directions, Maple whipped around. Before she had the chance to stalk away, however, Accentor was in front of her, his lips pulled down into a frown and his neck straightening so that he appeared taller than he actually was. The intimidation tactic was unsuccessful, but quite amusing.

" _Hey_ ," he hissed through tightly clenched teeth. "Do _not_ talk to her like that. Your negative reaction is completely understandable, but she doesn't deserve you lashing out at her. She just wants to help, and so do I. It's what we do. I might be a prince, but I don't have any obligation to sell you out or turn you in. You're an enemy of the SandWings, not the SkyWings. And even then I would offer you my assistance."

Maple gave him a considering look. He _sounded_ and _looked_ genuine, but the possibility of his concern being fake continued to push past reasonable thoughts and nag at her mind. She'd already encountered her fair share of backstabbing traitors under the guise of wanting to help. Why would Accentor be any different?

 _Why is Sapphire any different?_

She dismissed the thought immediately.

And more importantly, Accentor was a _prince_. If her history scrolls on the last fifty one years alone had taught her anything, it was that Pyrrhia's royal figures were usually unpredictable and dangerous.

"Look." Accentor was speaking again, his voice taking on a much steadier and calmer tone. "You don't have to trust me. Moons, if I was in your situation, I probably wouldn't trust me either. But you do trust Sapphire, don't you? Do you honestly think she only brought you here if she didn't think I could provide you real help? What could she possibly gain from leading you astray?"

 _He's got you there. Sapphire's been nothing but helpful since your first encounter with her, aside from the incident with Mist. Why should that change now? Stop being a moonblasted idiot and think about it for once._

The library dipped back into silence.

"I can't believe I'm being lectured by a dragonet half my size," Maple finally commented, almost taking joy in the ruffled expression that overtook Accentor's confidence. "Fine, twit. I'll accept your help." She then straightened and leaned forward, baring canine teeth inches away from Accentor's snout. "But just know I won't hesitate to rip their pretty little earrings out of your ears and shove them down your throat if you cross me. Understood?"

An outraged squawk erupted from Sapphire as Accentor firmly nodded his head. "I can assure you that I don't take that for an empty threat. However, it is unnecessary."

"And a seriously bad idea," Sapphire piped up. "I don't think any SkyWing would take kindly to you murdering one of their princes. Unless you want two angry kingdoms at your back?" Maple did not miss the near snide in her tone. An apology was in order, obviously. Her words must have seriously stung the smaller dragonet. Yet somehow her pride continued far outweighed her guilt. Surely someone as happy and energetic as Sapphire couldn't stay upset with her for long?

 _I'll apologize later when I can actually conjure the courage to utter the words "I'm sorry"._

"So what are your grand plans, twit?" Maple moved a step back to return some of the SkyWing's personal space, which he appeared incredibly desperate to get a hold of again.

Accentor glanced over at a sundial by the window before answering. "I have a few more hours until school ends," he observed. "You and Sapphire could hang around the city until it's over. Here." He lifted a wing to reveal a small pouch tied around the elbow with a few strands of red and brown ribbon. He cut the ribbon neatly with his claw and the handed it to Sapphire, the contents inside bouncing relatively loudly against each other during the exchange. "Use as much of that as you'd like. It's my emergency treasure."

"Are you sure-?" the blue dragonet started.

"Absolutely. I don't mind. Buy yourselves something nice."

 _He understands her,_ Maple realized, blinking. _Guess the universe really enjoys picking and choosing._

"Hmmm," hummed Sapphire, before closing her talon around the pouch. "If you're absolutely sure. We're gonna buy the cheapest stuff available though."

He flashed her a grin. "I've known you long enough to not doubt that for a minute."

Maple's ears flicked back as another loud chime shot throughout the school. Sapphire gave Accentor a warm (and tight) farewell hug and friendly nustle, paired with a joyful smile. The small hybrid was quick to dart out of the library without addressing Maple, a surprise to both the remaining parties.

"She'll be waiting for you at the entrance. While Sapphire's capabilities of withstanding harsh words can be very impressive, everyone has a breaking point and I think you just found hers," Accentor told her after a moment, as he retrieved the strands of ribbon from beneath his wing and tied them into a neat, little ball. "She doesn't like hearing dragons badmouth her friends. Especially strangers who hardly know them." There was a pointed underling to his tone. Which, she guessed, she kind of deserved. "I should warn you that she's very feisty when she's angry. Perhaps you should make that apology of yours as quick as possible."

Maple shot him a withering glare. "Thanks, twit. I figured that out on my own."

The crimson SkyWing only shrugged. "I'll be waiting for you here after school's over. Sapphire will know when. Also, I'll make sure Carmine doesn't tattle on you for insulting and threatening me." He waved a talon at the pink-red SkyWing still eavesdropping on their conversation. Carmine, she guessed, delivered a high pitched squeak in response and ducked to hide behind his desk.

"Of course," Maple replied dryly, already making her way to the exit. "See you later."

Accentor grinned and flicked his tail in farewell, though she didn't stick around to see it. The SkyWing students were returning to the confines of the school now and without Sapphire accompanying her or the concealment amongst a crowd, she was gifted with curious, delighted eyes.

Maple quickly hurried on through the storm of red and orange scales before any of them could attempt a conversation with her.

Just like the vacuous prince said, she found Sapphire sitting by the tree Precipice had taken shelter under and somewhat aggressively poking at the pouch of treasure. The blue hybrid withdrew her claw moments before Maple had come over, instead scooping up the bag and standing up to silently walk past her.

Maple bit back a sigh of frustration and stalked after her.

 _Maybe it isn't a good idea to put this off longer than need be_. They weren't going to be able to function like this. And, if she was being honest, she felt kind of… bad. Such an avid dragonet should never be so upset. The thought that her off putting words had been the cause of it did not make effort to sit well with her either.

"Sapphire…" Maple's gaze drifted to her talons as the other hybrid whipped around to address her with a cold glare. How exactly was she supposed to continue? She was never one for apologies. She'd long since clung to the belief that they were only strung together words with very little truth or sincerity behind them. "I'm sorry about what I said back there." She cringed at how clumsy and borderline lumbering her words sounded, but continued to soldier through. "I never should have yelled at you or insulted Accentor. I realize now that you had no actual ill intentions and was just trying to help."

Sapphire's features visibly softened at this. Stepping forward several steps, she rested a talon on Maple's shoulder and offered her a small, affable smile. "I forgive you," the smaller dragonet said. "You were just caught by surprise, that's all. I should have warned you."

"That would've been nice," Maple muttered cuttingly, although she doubted her reaction would have been any different. "Where do you intend on buying in town?"

"Hmmm," Sapphire hummed, hopping from talon to talon, an excited spring in each bounce. "I don't really know actually. Maybe some fruit. I've been longing for mahonia berries. They grow quite nicely up in the mountains. Did you know that?"

They began walking towards the field exit again, this time Sapphire's pace keeping in sync with hers rather than angrily speeding ahead. The city was just as busy as they had left it, if not more so as the tendrils of afternoon continued to creep its way into the skies of the morning. There were plenty more MudWings now, along with a few SandWings, NightWings, and the rare SeaWing.

While Jadeite did share some similarities with Possibility in terms of the crowd department, the city seemed to have a handle on a more peaceful and organized chaos, which Maple couldn't help but be in awe of. They didn't stumble or trip over each other's talons or tails. They moved gracefully, a little slowly sure, but no one could exactly help with that. And their chatter was quieter- they didn't scream to be heard by the dragons standing next to them. Instead, they talked with hushed whispers and soft voices.

Sapphire made a sudden sharp turn onto an emptier street and entered the first shop situated on her left. It wasn't anything extraordinary- a small, simplistic-looking building with a wooden red sign and letters painted in faded gold. As she stepped through the glass door, Maple spotted several straw woven baskets packed with berries of various colours up against every wall save for the back, where a SkyWing coated in rosewood scales stood attending to a flowerpot basking in the light of the sun that drifted through one of the many open windows.

The SkyWing waved a talon in greeting at her two customers before busying to her work. She was short, chubby, and roughly around Mist's age. Strings of multi-coloured flowers were raced between her unusually long, wine red spines.

"That's Havoc," Sapphire whispered to Maple, as she ventured towards to a basket of incredibly light blue shaded berries. "I used to come to her shop with my brothers all the time when I still lived here." Maple sniffed the basket curiously, but then quickly pulled away at the sharp tang that assaulted her nostrils. Her snout wrinkled in distaste.

"And these are mahonia berries," the blue hybrid continued obliviously, plucking one from the basket between two claws to exam thoroughly. "Have you tried them before?"

"Can't say I have," Maple growled out with a furious shake of her head. The scent wouldn't leave her senses, much to her irritation. "And having smelt them, I think I'm quite glad that I haven't."

"A lot of dragons would agree with you there. But _I_ like them. They're delicious. Although, I never eat too much. They'll make you vomit." Placing the berry back in the basket, Sapphire glanced over in Havoc's direction. "Could you grab her attention and ask for a bag of these please?"

Maple snorted, but obliged and waved the store owner over with a wing. She gestured at the mahonia berry basket and requested for a bag, to which Havoc promptly began filling one. When she was done, she dropped the sack into one of Sapphire's awaiting talon before eyeing the velvet pouch in the other with inquisitive interest.

As Sapphire fumbled to pay for her purchase, the shop's doors flipped open to allow another customer to slither their way inside.

Turning to glance in their direction, Maple felt herself tense and a low, threatening growl scratching her throat. It was the same SkyWing from earlier- the one who had stared too openly on the streets with eyes that made her scales crawl. She watched him wander aimlessly around the small establishment, studying each basket with peculiarity and paying little attention to the other patrons.

Maple looked back to see Sapphire fetching two gemstones from the pouch and handing them over to Havoc. The SkyWing inspected them for a long, dragging moment, before grinning and clapping the blue hybrid on the book. The sudden action caused the smaller dragon to stumble, but she steadied herself quickly and offered a smile.

"Could we hurry up and leave now?" Maple growled to her once Havoc wandered bid them both farewell and wandered off to assist the big-eyed SkyWing. "I'd like to get as far away from here as possible."

Sapphire shot her an atypical look. "Is something wrong?"

Not too subtly, Maple jabbed her tail in the direction of the two SkyWings. "That ruby red SkyWing was watching me oddly when he first came into Jadeite," she explained in quiet whispers.

"Yes…?" Sapphire replied slowly, her brow furrowing. "A lot of dragons were watching you, Maple. No one's seen you before and-"

"I know _that_ ," she sniped. "But he was… different. I just have a bad feeling about him. I don't think him showing up here is a minor coincidence."

The blue hybrid shuffled her wings and shrugged. "Havoc's shop _is_ one of the few places you can get berries in the city," she pointed out. "But maybe you're right. Let's just go. We can head over to the west corner of Jadeite if you-"

"I'm sorry." A third voice had slunk its way into the conversation. One that was light, bored, and riddled with hints of anger. "Am I interrupting anything?"

The ridge along her spine bristled as Maple observed the topic of her and Sapphire's discussion standing before them. "Yes, actually," was her snort of disgust. She moved to stand in front of her friend and arched her neck to be snout to snout with the SkyWing. "Can we help you?"

"Yes," he replied, his emerald eyes fluttering from his talons and back to her. "I think…" He paused for a hesitant moment. "You know what? I'll just see for myself."

And then suddenly his talon flashed out, grasping her shoulder.

And then, not a second later, there was agonizing pain.


End file.
